Cherish
by SmileAwai
Summary: "Where there's a will, there's a way." She recited quietly. "In that case, I'll protect you, no matter what." Ever since Eve picked up a certain Guardian Stone from her front doorstep, she has had odd dreams. Dreams that gave her the name of someone who would change her life.
1. Tragedy

**Tragedy**

"Watch out...!" The crimson-haired male's warning came out as a weak whisper, his exhaustion affecting even his voice. Even if his words did reach the ears of the monster's victim, it would be too late. Instinctively, he dashed in between their assailant and a specific purple head, who had stood cornered by the menacing, headless knight. His hair fluttered against the rush of air, his determination to protect this girl flashing in his eyes. The eyes were soon covered by his maroon locks, rendering his expression unreadable.

Sprawled across the floor was an elf, her chartreuse hair fallen out of her ponytail and creating graceful arcs on the floor. She had a hand clutched to her abdomen, where a deep wound was engraved upon and bleeding heavy amounts of blood. Her breath was on the verge of ceasing, if not for her will to live. It was obvious that her wound would be impossible to treat in the middle of a battlefield. Shielding her was a man whose left arm was that of a nasod arm and in his right palm was a sword which resembled a rapier. His eyes held deep hatred towards their assailant, and turning around to the chartreuse-haired elf, his bright amber eyes softened considerably as his hand neglected his weapon on the floor and placed it on her cheek, meeting her eyes which matched the colour of her hair.

On his left sleeve where his nasod arm hid behind were cuts, whilst his right sleeve was almost completely soaked in blood, with a few drops of blood on his furred hood. He knew it was almost the end for the elf, and wished to be by her side as she slowly slipped into the darkness, a peaceful smile on her lips and tears mixing with the blood on her once flawless skin. A flood of indescribable emotions welled up in his heart, as he mourned the death of his loved one. _I was... never able to tell her..._

A blade skewered below the half shirt which the red head wore, his exposed stomach almost completely pierced in half by the giant sword. Despite bearing the gravest injuries among his companions, he reached a trembling hand towards the headless knight, channeling his energy and firing the strongest rune he could, the monster was knocked back, and its grip on the sword loosened completely as it fell backwards, surprised by the sudden attack. It crashed into a pile of rubble, but barely made any sound. The red head, now almost covered head to toe in crimson, coughed blood from his mouth and stood his guard as he protected the magician behind him.

"I...won't...let you...hurt...my companions... any...further!" At first his words were quiet, breathing heavily in between most of his words, before he let his voice echo at the end of his sentence. After a few seconds, the monster did not stir, and, with his white wide pants continuing to catch droplets of blood from his fatal wound, he fell backwards, the sword embedded in his abdomen fading away.

The violet-haired girl who watched the whole scene unfold before her eyes was trembling, her eyes wide in horror and her hands over her lips, each breath heavy. Her once immaculate garbs that were tied together with a pink ribbon was now stained in the blood of her saviour, who had selflessly used his own body to shield the attack rather than using his sword. His weapon of choice had been flung to the other end of the room during an attack from the monster before the fatal stab was inflicted on him. His sword, adorned with several belts and straps at the hilt, was now laying atop a number of debris, with a number of scratches on the blade.

The girl, clearly shocked by the event that unfolded before her eyes, held out her arms as the crimson boy fell into the safety of them. Her long wide sleeves were dyed in maroon, spreading to the laces at the ends. Cradling the boy in her arms, she sobbed quietly, tears welling up in her eyes. She trembled uncontrollably, and made little effort to stop her weeping as her mind flooded with words she wanted to say, but all she could emit from her lips were sobs.

"I'm sorry... I'm so sorry..." The boy slowly opened his eyes, despite his conscience slowly disappearing forever. His ruby orbs were partially shaded by his eyelashes, and he managed a grin at the weeping girl as she apologized profusely. His hands, wrapped in straps similar to those on his weapon, swiftly wiped away the tears, despite his exhaustion. Her mid-length twin tails hung over shoulder and brushed the crimson-haired boy's cheek gently.

Unable to stop her trembling, the violet-haired girl hunched over slightly, giving the boy her brightest smile before his body slumped back completely in her arms. Taking a sharp intake of breath, the girl's amethyst eyes widened and she hugged the boy tightly, as though she was attempting to retain the warmth of his body.

"Chung... Chung! Isn't there anything we can do?! Please... answer me..." The girl managed to speak after a while of sobbing into the chest of the red head.

_Chung...? I know that name... _Golden eyes glanced up as they saw the said person who she hadn't noticed standing amidst the whole scene.

_That's right... I... I was..._

The boy carried eyes as vast as the ocean, but the sadness and almost a sense of solitude which glowed from them could not be missed. Partially hiding his expression was his soft locks of cream coloured hair, spiking upwards as it reached the back. There were two sections of hair that were tainted a dark brown at the tip, and it appeared as though they were animal ears.

_...Are they... really dead?_

It framed his face slightly. Suddenly, he turned away, the two azure scarfs fluttering around behind his back. A low ponytail hung on his back, tied back with a blue band. Although his expression could not be read, he was biting his lip gently.

_...What should I do?_

The bearer of the golden eyes stood unnoticed, her silver hair braided and tied in buns on both sides of her face. A crown rested on her head, and below her eyes were blue markings.

* * *

Author's Note-

Smile: My first fanfic! I had so much fun trying to describe most things, but I thought that this first chapter would go on for too long if I described every little thing, so here it is. It took me a blooming long time just to come up with a summary, longer than it actually took to write this whole chapter. Hm, typical of me actually, since I wrote this without even thinking of a proper plot... Derp. Because I live in the UK, I use the British spellings. I hope it won't confuse you guys! -Smacked by Aisha-


	2. Plunge

**Plunge**

Eve slowly tore her eyes open, her long silver hair cascading over her slim shoulders and back. Her servants, Oberon and Ophelia, was quickly by her side.

"Milad- I mean, Eve, did you have a good rest?" Oberon inquired softly, and Ophelia almost slammed a fist on his helmet if not for Eve's odd expression.

"Oberon, Ophelia... do you have any recollection of a boy named Chung...?" Clearly half awake, Ophelia placed a gentle hand on Eve's shoulder, and smiling softly. She looked towards at Oberon, who shook his head.

"I am afraid we do not have any information about this person you wish to learn of. If you would like, I can scout for more information."

"No... that won't be neccesary. I suggest you just forget what I asked. I did not have a pleasant dream last night." Eve sat up, her hands clutching her sleeping attire. Removing her hand from Eve's shoulder, Ophelia proceeded to grab a dress for the girl to wear. Oberon bowed before leaving the room, clearly off to make some tea. Swinging her legs over her bed side, Eve looked around her room. Her usual, white room filled with nothing but black and white. The only thing that stood out was her maid, Ophelia, who wore a pink dress and amber eyes similar to Eve's own eyes. Oberon popped his head in, and presented a tray of jasmine tea, with a few chocolate chipped cookies.

Eve nodded gratefully at him as he set the tray next to the bedside table. Picking up the lightly scented tea, she absorbed the warmth of it, taking small sips. Her feet barely reached down to the floor as she sat on the bed, and her sleeping attire consisted of a strapless dress, with a salmon pink ribbon tied securely at the chest, holding the dress up to reveal no more. Laces flowed from the hem of the dress, landing just above her knees.

Instead of eating the cookies, she offered them to Oberon and Ophelia, who at first refused to take it, but conceded in the end and accepted it.

_After such a horrifying nightmare, how can I have the appetite to eat...?_

She sighed mentally, and set off changing into a different dress for the day in Altera.

* * *

"Elsword..." The name was mumbled by an elf with chartreuse hair. "Aisha..." Her lips were twitching, clearly due to frustration. "What were you two doing when we were fighting those sea serpents...?" Rena made a grab for the two, but they ducked and huddled into a corner, fearing Rena's wrath.

"Rena... give them a break, it was only an accident." Raven stayed on guard in the case that the sea serpents launched another ambush.

"I admit it was my fault, but if Aisha hadn't used her magic then we might've actually stayed on track..." Rena sighed heavily, her ponytail shifting about in the wind as the Rune Slayer before her gave an excuse. Aisha, on the otherhand, remained quiet.

"Don't do it again. _Ever._" Rena turned around to take a look at the ocean-soaked map in her. Elsword had been in charge of steering the ship safely to Altera, while Rena and Raven were to be ready for any ambushes. Aisha was their last resort if Rena and Raven couldn't handle packs of monsters. Her fire magic would obviously burn the wooden ship, while summoning ice would just freeze the water below them and probably cause the ship itself to freeze. Calling forth wind magic was out of the question, as it would send the ship skyward before she could even finish casting the spell. A lightning spell would also set the ship on fire, so on a ship, Aisha is a walking bombshell.

She was asleep in the cabin during the sea serpent attack, and when a sea serpent managed to crawl onto her leg, and she lost control of her magic, launching an out-of-control missile which headed towards Elsword, who ducked by instinct, but ended up steering the ship in a random direction. Now they were stuck.

"...Sorry." Aisha avoided eye contact with Elsword and Raven. Letting out a sigh, she walked away from the two males and looked out towards the sea.

_I can't make the same mistakes again..._

Elsword raised an eyebrow at Aisha before turning towards Raven, who looked out towards the distance with empty eyes as he began to be lost in thought.

_How on Elrios are we supposed to save Chung at this rate?_

* * *

"Mmn..." A pair of cerulean, paw printed eyes parted slowly, darting across the room they saw in a calm manner.

_How did I get here? _Pushing himself up with his palms, Chung winced slightly as he gripped his head with one hand, a pulsing ache in his temples, the only source of light being the sunlight that shifted through the curtains. His body ached all over, and the pulsating, dull pain was not helping. He peered down at his left arm which was wrapped in bandages, and lifted his eyes again to see his Freiturnier and Destroyer lingering at the corner of the room. The bed he rested on sank slightly from his weight, and a thick blanket kept him warm during the time he was unconcious.

Standing up and swaying slightly, he held onto the nightstand tightly before loosening his grip. He stayed in his black clothing and turned the clean door knob, pulling it slightly and cautiously peered outside the room, to find it omniously quiet.

_Where is this place?_

Shutting the door as quietly as he could, he sat on the chair the stood near the bed. Staring at the dent he made on the bed, Chung hunched over and placed his pale cheek on his palm.

* * *

_The Black Crow's airship began lose altitude, shifting the airship to the side. While Elsword grabbed Rena, whom he was closest to, and placed them both onto a wall to prevent them from falling off, Raven wrapped his right arm around Aisha's waist and grabbed the railings with his left. _

_Chung, on the other hand, was busy dealing with a Black Crow Commander, and his feet glided off of the floor of the airship. Having a tight grip on his Destroyer and his eyes closed as he fell. Aisha, witnessing the descent of Chung, quickly entered a meditative state, and casted a mana shield on him. A misty aura surrounded him and he quickly disappeared from sight._

_**CHUNG!**_

_His name being the last thing he heard from his friends, he began to feel slightly lightheaded, but if not for the shield Aisha created, he would have passed out. The wind caused his locks of hair to sway wildly around his face, and it was difficult for him to open his eyes wide._

_As he glanced at the distance between him and the ground, he braced himself, flipping his body nimbly so his feet pointed towards the ground. He bit his lip gently as he noticed the buildings that were surrounding where he would land. The longer he was in flight, the faster he was falling. There wasn't much time left. The floor is beginning to rise up towards him._

_Positioning his Destroyer, he pointed it below him, and fired the last of his ammo._

_"Unghh..." The mana shield faded as soon as he landed. Opening one eye, countless flowers surrounded him. The smell of pollen filled his nose, and his jawline tickled by the green grass. Before passing out completely, he could hear a fountain and a soft voice following the splashes of water. A lullaby..._

* * *

A knock on the door surprised him. Turning around in the chair, he kept his guard up as a figure appeared behind the door.

* * *

Author's Note-

Smile: Ahh, I love cliffhangers... When I know what happens next! I've been so excited to post this chapter! Oh, and I've decided to make up my own plot... and... uh, make Eve a human, to make this slightly more easier for me. I am hoping you have figured out their classes by the end of this chapter. If not, please tell me ASAP and I'll post them in the next chapter!

Thank you for the good wishes from my reviewers! You don't know how much I am flipping out right now, my hands seem to be on fire with typing. I'll be uploading slower when school starts, and exams start popping up out of nowhere... GAH, I haven't even done my homework yet!

Disclaimer: I do not own Elsword or the characters within the game.


	3. Awakening

**Awakening**

Aisha lay on the clean floor, hugging a small pink cushion in her arms. Staring out the window, a spell of wind came to mind, and her body began to absorb mana as she entered a state of peace.

Three weeks have passed since they unwillingly parted with Chung, and since then they managed to meet land, Altera.

Rena sat on the bed opposite of Aisha's, smiling to herself as she read a novel of life. Shutting it and placing it back on the shelf on Aisha's side of the room, she turned towards the door and walked through the halls towards Raven's room.

* * *

Raven was silently polishing his weapon with an overused cloth which he picked up from the ship they were riding upon. Upon hearing a knock on his door, he stood and pulled the door open to see Rena smiling up at him.

"Come in." Without wasting any words, he welcomed Rena, who was smiling brightly as she entered.

"Heheh, thanks for letting me in." She pulled a chair out and made herself completely comfortable. Raven settled himself back on the dent he made on the bed and looked up at Rena.

"You're worried about Chung aren't you?" He spoke up, his deep voice piercing through the silence.

"Ahahah, you knew?" Rena laughed nervously, and picked up a slightly serious tone of voice. "We've not been able to make contact with him for three weeks, so I'm slightly worried about his well-being. I've been asking myself repeatedly, 'is he in safe hands?' and-"

"It has been three weeks ever since he fell from the ship, so I'm not surprised you're worried. But your worry is written all over your face. You'll end causing unwanted anxiety from Elsword and Aisha."

"I know. Should we make finding Chung be our first priority?"

"He'll be fine even without us. His training wasn't for nothing."

"Yeah, you're right... Oh, we should wake Elsword shouldn't we?" Rena began walking towards the door, her hand resting on knob. "Raven. Thank you." Raven let out a quiet sigh under his breath, which Rena turned around to, to find him giving her a faint smile.

* * *

"**WAKE UP!**"

"WOA-" At the sound of Rena's voice, Elsword immediately flung his head up from his pillow. Rena's face twitched upwards in irritation as he fell back onto his pillow. "Elsword..." She grumbled, then grabbed the collars of his half shirt and began shaking him violently back and forth. At that moment, Aisha walked past the open door, then stepped back and stared inside.

"Rena! You're killing him!"

"What do you expect?! It's already noon!" Rena flew Elsword backwards on to the bed, putting her hands on her hands and pouted.

"He's a heavy sleeper, yes. But you doing that just now would knock him out... Actually, it would knock just about anybody out." Aisha patted Rena's shoulder before walking out of the room to grab lunch.

Grabbing his arm and flinging it over her shoulder, Rena dragged him across the halls of where they would be staying for the duration of their mission to protect Altera from an expected demon assault. If there are no attacks, the group would stay for a month to gather as much information as possible on what people know about Hamel, in favour of Chung.

Throwing Elsword down on the chair next to Aisha, Rena looked up at the purple head and Raven, who ruffled his ebony black hair.

"I'll go get us lunch. What do you guys want?"

* * *

Eve sat at the fountain which she usually stared into. The fountain was built exactly where the sun would reflect, and she could not avoid sitting there most of the time. As she placed a red rose into the water which floated as if it were oil on water, she fished a guardian stone out of her pocket, careful not to knock Remy or Moby, who sat on her lap, in the head.

It had a beautiful gleam to it, unlike anything she had ever seen. There were careful carvings engraved on it, but ever since she picked it up from her front doorstep, she has had many odd dreams; dreams of someone who knows not of her existence, and even Eve has doubted his existence.

She has kept it close to her, knowing she will find the truth to why she has faced these dreams.

Smiling to herself, she remembered a song of her childhood. Although she had only ever heard it once, it had stuck to her mind. Remy and Moby stirred and peered at Eve curiously. Stroking them, she took a deep breath, and began to sing, Oberon and Ophelia watching her like they always did.

* * *

The figure behind the door was small and... furry? It pushed the door open further, and revealed a pongo, who held a smoking pipe to its lips.

"My my, you're finally awake! My name is Adel. How are you feeling now?" The pongo whose name was Adel walked casually towards Chung, but kept a gracious distance.

"I'm feeling fine... Was it you who found me? Where is this?" There were lots of questions muddled up in his mind, but he managed to narrow it down to the most important ones.

"You are within the safety of Altera. It wasn't I who found you. A kind nasod who serves the princess of Altera found you in front of their home, and since she cannot offer you refuge, she brought you here." The pongo nodded after his statement, and held the smoking pipe in his small hands.

"I see... thank you for letting me stay... Ah, I am Chung." Chung bowed his head slightly, and as he lifted his head again, a smile had spread across the elderly pongo's face.

"It is no problem. Although you did stay knocked out for almost three weeks! Thankfully, we had the technology to keep you alive, since you wouldn't wake up to eat or drink."

Chung bowed his appreciation once again, and managed a slight smile.

"I have some business to attend to... I'm sorry for having to leave so abruptly." Chung began to stand, but the elder's hand rested on Chung's.

"I believe you have business with a forthcoming demon attack. As chief of the village, I know at least this much. Let us talk of ways to counterattack such an assault." The elderly pongo's dark eyes stared adamantly into frazzled eyes, as deep as the ocean.

Without hesitation, Chung nodded, putting his trust in the pongo before him. The pongo's eyes were enough to tell Chung how important this matter was to him.

* * *

"None of the pongos have came back...?" Chung stared at the elder in disbelief. Sitting in the office of the pongo who sat before Chung, the air hung tense as the cream haired boy repeated what Adel told him.

"Unfortunately, yes. The Altera castle has been known to be sacred. However, it is clear that the Altera King and Queen resides there, with more paperwork everyday than I would ever have to sift through in a week, and especially since the rumours of the demon attack rippling across Altera, more than I would have in my entire life." The smoking pipe sat next to a pile of finished paperwork, Adel's stubby hands tightening into fists. "The reason why I sent those pongos to spy on the King and Queen is to confirm my suspicions..." The chief spoke in a hushed tone, and peered outside the window. "...that they may be working with the demons." Adel glanced at Chung, as if expecting a surprised expression from the boy.

Chung, however, remained calm, his face void of any expression. The pongo grinned at the boy's composure.

"Both the King and Queen has never shown their face to anyone, including the princess. We do not know if she is still alive or not, and neither do we know of her name. Isn't it odd that rulers of an entire kingdom would never show their faces? Wouldn't showing their faces gain trust between them and their people?

"Furthermore, demon attacks are never predictable, so why is it that the King and Queen are able to tell that there would be an attack? That, I find very disturbing..." The chief hung his head, clearly worried over a number of things; the safety of the pongos who acted as spies, how he was going to confirm his suspicions, and if the predicted demon attack would actually occur.

Chung blinked a few times before speaking up.

"I can spy for you."

"Pardon?" Adel looked up with surprise in his eyes, his beady eyes piercing through eyes that looked almost dull.

"If I spy for you, then we may be able to label your suspicions as true, rather than mere suspicions. One should not live life with distrust all the time." The prince's voice was firm, but his face showed no other expression than empty.

_This boy..._

Adel nodded. In his heart, there was hesitation. What if the boy was also caught? Capturing a human after having caught so many pongos within the last 2 weeks would undoubtly arouse wariness, and that was be the last thing Adel would want.

"When should I start?" Chung snapped the pongo back into reality.

"Tonight would be best. Most of the guards have left for Hamel, but the reason is unspecified." The boy's eyebrow twitched slightly upon hearing the name of his hometown. The pongo noticed his reaction, but ignored it.

_What could've happened in Hamel?_

"I will be preparing for that then." He stood up, exited the office and set off towards his room, leaving Adel to ponder on issues that would arise.

* * *

A slight _click _could be heard as Chung shut the door behind him. He was already making progress, but what about Elsword and the others?

Placing a thumb under his chin and a finger to his lips, he thought of a way to sneak into the castle. Staring at his Freiturnier and Destroyer, he walked over to them and began rummaging for his guardian stone.

_**It's gone.**_

The corner of his lips twitched to the side as he thought of Adel.

_No, it won't be Adel. Pongos are known for their honesty... _Without his Silver Shooters, he wouldn't be able to incapacitate any guards during his infiltration. Sighing out mentally, he left his Freiturnier and Destroyer where they were and headed to the front door. If he walked out there in that get-up he would most likely be thrown on the floor and arrested, probably thought of as a terrorist of some sort.

Smilling humourlessly to himself, Chung knew the only way to find a way to infiltrate would be to spy on the structure of the castle itself.

* * *

Author's Note-

Smile: I am soo tired... I've had to stay up late (It's 6am right now) and now I don't even know what I'm talking about.

Since the first chapter is so focused on character 'deaths', I've decided to leave the action for later and just focus on the characters! Oh, and just in case you were wondering, Chung pulls his Silver Shooters from his Guardian Stone.

The next chapter will be dedicated to Eve and Chung, but the one after that will be moving onto... well, it's a secret. But I promise you it's not about Eve or Chung!

Time to announce the classes! -Drum roll-

**Elsword**: Rune Slayer

**Aisha**: Elemental Master

**Rena**: Wind Sneaker

**Raven**: Blade Master

**Eve**: Code: Empress

**Chung**: Deadly Chaser


	4. The Language of Flowers

Warning: Long chapter. I mean it.

* * *

**The Language of Flowers**

"Eve... please take this." Oberon stretched a gloved hand out to Eve, a polished pocket knife resting on his palm. Ophelia stood behind Oberon's tall figure, her amber eyes hiding a small hint of uneasiness.

_For Hamel to become so unstable and needing help from Altera, this is indeed anything but expected of them._

"Oberon... wha..." With his other gloved hand, Oberon reached towards the princess' right hand, opening it and situated the pocket knife on her small palm and closed her pale but warm fingers over it.

"I'm afraid we won't be able to follow your parent's orders to protect you... but this pocket knife of mine may serve you in my place." Behind his mask, he smiled, and straightened up, clenching his fists together.

Eve looked down at the pocket knife, which was shaped into a miniature version of Oberon's swords. As she admired the intricate details, there were droplets of water on the blade.

Before long, Eve had clutched the item to her chest, sobbing as the thought of her servants-no, family were to leave her as well. Ophelia, being the Nasod she is, could not shed tears, but a sharp pain had welled up in her chest.

Oberon patted Eve's head, hoping he wouldn't be slapped for his behaviour. Surprisingly, all Eve did was lift her head up at them, and give them the brightest smile she had ever mustered up.

"Be careful and come home soon, okay? That's an order."

* * *

_**Never leave this palace..**_

A frown crept up Eve's features before she rubbed them away with her slim fingers as the words haunted her. She sat at the same fountain as always, this time with Remy and Moby playing around happily on the patch of grass. Now that Oberon and Ophelia has gone somewhere far away, she felt slightly nervous at the fact she was all alone - again.

Lifting her eyes up from Remy and Moby towards the otherside of the garden where a huge gate stood, she thought back to her father's words.

_Be a good girl while we're not around. I'm sure you'll become a wonderful woman like your mother when you grow up._

She couldn't remember what her parents looked like, but since they were the King and Queen of Altera, it can't be helped, and Eve understood that best.

The sky above her head was slowly turning a brighter colour of blue, with streams of sunlight shining through clouds that masked its beauty and turning misty grey in the heavens.

She peeled her eyes off the gate, and watched Remy and Moby play-wrestling on the ground. The sound of water calmed her thoughts, the scene before her the same as always.

The flowers, always bright and cheerful, rustling against the wind and tapping each other playfully, as though the flowers were all friends. The walls of the garden, a pure white with little to no scratches on the surface. And lastly, the green, fresh grass which Eve always admired.

* * *

_A gentle hand brushed against her forehead. Eve opened her eyes to peer at the lady who made contact with her forehead, to see a kind smile greeting her._

_"Good morning, sleepyhead. You've been asleep for a while. How are you feeling?" The woman began to stroke Eve's forehead, her silver locks intertwining with the chartreuse haired woman's fingers. Eve simply nodded weakly at the olive eyed woman, who removed her hand and smiled with relief._

_A melodious voice enveloped the room, and the fevered girl parted her eyes to see the beautiful elf, enveloped in a delicate green aura. It began to grow larger, enveloping the young Eve in the orb of light, and the voice lulled her to sleep as her high temperature began to drop._

* * *

Absorbed into that time when her life was saved, she subconsciously repeated the song she had loved and held to her heart so dearly. _Her mother was nowhere near like that. _She brought a wrist up to her eyes and rubbed away a tear stain.

When she finished singing to the two small robots who had stopped their play-fight to listen, she took out the guardian stone from her pockets and stared into it, before gasping silently.

_This is the same colour as __**his **__eyes..._

* * *

Altera was almost like a maze, with bustling streets and merchants trying to sell their goods. A few women would turn around and chat to each other as they gazed at Chung, while some just outright ignored him.

Truthfully, his first priority should be finding his guardian stone, but since this 'spying' may help his main priority, Chung decided to leave finding his guardian stone to before having to fight off demons.

_First thing's first, I'll need to get information from the people here. _Gazing around, his eyes rested on a woman with beautiful black hair that was tied back with a baby pink ribbon and wrapped in thick robes. She had note in her hand and a feathered pen in the other, writing with haste.

Surrounding her were innumberable bags; most filled with tin cans and boxes and a few that were completely empty.

The woman set down the feathered pen as she noticed Chung's presense, smiling calmly at him.

"Yes? What do you need from me?" Her voice sent a slight chill down his spine, but he ignored it.

"...Do you know anything about the Altera castle?" Chung spoke with precaution, while attempting to rub away the pulsating pain on one side of his head.

"Ah, of course. Have you only just arrived here?" He thought for a moment.

_I've been here for three weeks already... But seeing as she seems like a travelling merchant, I guess there's no need to tell her. _Chung nodded firmly, offering her a vacant expression.

The woman returned it with a warm smile.

"My name is Helen. From what I have gathered here, the King and Queen houses a beautiful princess there. However, nobody is able to confirm whether she actually lives there, or as bewitching as they believe her to be." Helen extended her hand.

"I'm Chung. What about the King and Queen themselves?" Chung took her hand and shook it.

"If it's information about the King and Queen, then I have no idea. They are too well hidden and strict, that even information leeks about them have never leeked out. All there are, are rumours after rumours.

"The castle itself is hard to breach, and the walls are built high and polished so no normal human can climb over it. Maybe I could take you there? It's only a short walk, but I'll tell you more as while we travel."

Helen reached for a bag, which seemed to be the heaviest out of all the ones that lay on the cobbled, sandy floor.

"I'll take that." The boy took the bag the ebony haired woman was about to lift.

"Ah, in that case, thank you." She took reach for another heavily cluttered bag which Chung also took. Smiling at his sincere acts, Helen picked up the rest and guided him towards the castle, leaning to the right and left each time a person walked past her.

"The previous King caused the fall of Hamel thirteen years ago. Supposedly it was because of an ongoing war, but the truth is there weren't any at the time. However, he died shortly after due to his deteroriating health, and his father took the throne once again, despite old age. And if you were wondering why his father is still alive, is because he had actually resigned from the position of King because of loss of sight. This includes the Queen, except she still has her eyesight, thus acting as the King's eyes." Helen said without hesitation. She tugged at the rucksack on her back to make sure it was secure, sniffing in the smell of fresh bread coming from the bakeries that surround them.

After a while of silence, Chung concluded that was the limit of what she knew.

"Ah, look we're here."

Chung scanned the thick white walls of bricks quickly, noting the gates were composed of steel. The polished walls even deflected the strong rays of the sun, revealing nothing of what could be inside.

"Of course, I have wondered why they have such strong securities. I mean, who wouldn't?" She chuckled lightly at herself, before shuffling her feet against the sandy floor. "Well, I have to get going soon, otherwise people would wonder if I was on strike!"

She held out a hand, her palm facing upwards. Chung took the two rucksacks off his shoulders and carefully placed them on top of her palm. Her fingers wrapped around the straps immediately as it fell under the weight. "Well, if you need anything, you can find me at the waterfall near here."

_That woman gives information out too easily... But thanks to that, I got quite a lot on those two. _The area surrounding the castle was less populated, but no one seemed to care to look at the castle walls.

"I should be able to jump over the walls if I got my cannon..." He muttered to himself quietly, but a girl walking past eyed him curiously. She shrugged it off, twirling her white locks of hair that was tied back into a messy ponytail, her emerald eyes shifting away from the blonde boy as she trailed off with her small figure.

_I still have some time left before nightfall, I should eat something. _Rubbing his sore shoulders and biceps, he turned around on his heel and began heading towards a small restaurant where he may be able to gather more info.

* * *

Eve sat at her usual chair in the dining hall. The few Nasods who were present watched as Eve ate her dinner alone from a distance.

She ate a slow pace, savouring her food. Or so it appears. Her attention turned from her now empty plate to the large window at the far end of the large room. It perfectly framed the gate of steel, almost like leading to either Hell or Heaven.

Staring at it without amusement, Eve pushed herself up from the chair, staring down at the table. It was completely empty; like her heart, apart from the small dish that had a few swipes of sauce.

"Thank you... for the food. I shall now be excused." She nodded to the nasods and left the silent room, her small heels creating echoes and she walked with ease in her mullet dress.

The windows to her right framed the beautiful sanctum; the wonderful garden she loved to play at as a child. Alone.

Despite living in luxury, money cannot heal that patch of loneliness in her heart. Eve began running a finger round in circles on the blue gem on the chest of her strapless dress. Gold lined the dress, with hints of pink at her hips.

Despite wearing boots that reached up to her thighs, she walked with ease. This was her favourite dress, one that Ophelia personally picked from the shops for her.

Comfortable fabrics hung from her upper arm, fitted snuggly and unwilling to slip or slide.

* * *

The door shut quietly. Eve's fingers slipped off the handle weakly before she flew on her bed, staring at the pale ceiling which was painted an amber by the sun.

_Well... that was awkward._ She thought humourlessly. A glow came from her dress pocket. Digging her hand in, she held the guardian close to her eyes, peering at it closely. The glow was faint, but it was enough to warm her cold hands.

She began to balance it safely between her fingers, trying to relieve her boredom. Remy and Moby woke from their dormant state and both began to zoom around the room with excitement.

"Remy. Moby." At the mention of their name, Remy and Moby paused in their tracks before settling themselves next to Eve. They watched as Eve played with the glowing object in her hand with growing curiosity, but waited patiently.

Before long, Eve's arms flopped to the side, and the two small robots danced on her arms. She flipped over onto her stomach and began poking them gently with a finger as they pranced around the bed.

Her lips stretched slightly into a smile as she envied their happy nature.

_Wait, what am I thinking? I shouldn't be envious... You gotta be stronger than this Eve._

She held out a hand and Remy rested on her palm. It's eyes gleamed brightly as Eve placed her cheek against the small robot. She jerked upwards as she made up her mind.

* * *

Skipping to the garden, she held Remy to her chest with Moby hovering behind her. She had let loose her braids as they were beginning to become loose anyways.

The hair that usually made up her hairstyle tumbled down her back like wild flames. There were elegant curves and arcs in her silver locks, reaching down to her upper back.

She slowly sat down at the fountain, releasing Remy. It bumped against Moby who flew behind Eve frantically and they soon started a game of tag. Eve softly hummed to herself as she felt the peaceful evening shift into night.

The cold was unmistakably present, but that was better than being stuffed inside a room for all her life. Gentle waves of wind rolled against her shoulders as another faint glow came from the guardian stone, and as Eve held the warmth in her palms, she slowly set her head down on the concrete before drifting off.

* * *

"Are you ready pong?" Adel let slip his habit of adding 'pong' to his sentence. Shifting in his armour, Chung turned to the pongo.

"No need to hide anything." He drawled, rolling his shoulders backwards to relieve the aching pain before picking up his 'light' cannon.

"There won't be anyone roaming the streets today pong. The medicine you swallowed should last for six hours before you start having those migraines again, so you have plenty of time. Probably too much time if you're successful. Also, the orichalcum I placed onto your cannon should silence any sounds it makes. It has been personally crafted by Luichel, which is why the properties of it has been enhanced."

Nodding, Chung pushed the wooden open just wide enough for him and his Destroyer to fit through. Closing it softly, he ran through the shadows of the street. With silent footsteps, Chung could easily slip past eyes of any night owl.

Even with Helen's data, there wasn't anything else he could use to help him navigate through the castle. Not that anyone would have a clue what the inside looks like.

Grumbling as he ran with the cannon behind his back, he knew he had to be careful. Heck, any amateur would know they have to be careful during such missions.

Mentally face palming, he drew to a stop in the darkness. The ghastly night was nothing compared to the bustling day. It was cold without the warmth of the sun shining upon them, and there were no traces of sounds apart from a few hoots of an owl, but that's just about it.

Slipping behind the castle walls where no one would see, he lowered his body, positioning his cannon. Jumping from his stance, he pressed the trigger and blasted himself high up, landing atop the castle walls.

Feeling around for any magic barrier, he sighed with relief and landed on the grass without trouble. Making sure he stood as far back into the shadows as he could, he made his way to the garden.

He was greeted by the smell of sweet pea, wind brushing against his cheek. He crouched down on one knee in the shadows as he inspected the garden.

_The sound of splashing water._

Irises singing duets with the wind, sweet peas playing with butterflies, white lilacs dancing with moon flowers and purple heathers whistling their tunes. Although they decorated the garden intricately, there was a distinctive silhouette sitting at the fountain.

It was a girl. Wisps of silver hair circled the sleek marble surface of the fountain, a dress billowing beneath the small figure. It matched her hair colour, but it did not echo back the light from the moon like the strands of silk did. It caressed her pale cheeks, where slashes of pale blue ran across, but locks of hair shaded her eyes.

He assumed she was asleep. Suddenly, a pulse of blue illuminated from the girl. He tensed as she began to stir from her sleep. Cautiously, he crept closer, Destroyer tight in hand as he unknowingly dragged it across the grass, perplexed by what he hadn't expected to see.

Chung recognized the glow. It was his Guardian Stone.

* * *

_"Be a good girl while we're not around. I'm sure you'll become a wonderful woman like your mother when you grow up._" _He patted her head and, turning around, walked away._

_**This is a fragment of your memories.**__ Eve stared down at the child's figure before her. The child stared at her father's back as he walked away, tears urging to spill._

_When her father was completely out of sight, the child's leg buckled and fell to the ground, her voice wailing and wobbling in the air as tears began leaking from her eyes._

_She couldn't stop crying. Eve reached a hand towards the girl before it elapsed over her. Flinching at this, she immediately pulled her hand away._

_**You can't touch her because you are her. Kukuku. I would have expected you to know that, but I suppose it is difficult seeing your lonely little self... Hehe...  
**_

_Everything surrounding Eve began to blur until it fell into total darkness, until a faint blue light began to surface._

_**Tch. It seems I was too late.**_

* * *

Glowing amber eyes cracked open as a reaction to the throbbing blue light that flashed near her face. She quickly sat up, surprised by the sudden change in its glowing frequency.

It faded away before Eve could even think to wonder what had caused it. Although warmed by it, she set it down on her lap and searched around for two mischievous robots.

"Remy... Moby?" She muttered quietly. Her eyes rested on patches of black and white among the purple flowers. Remy and Moby had nestled themselves in the safety of the flowers.

She stood on her feet and upon hearing sounds of shuffling, she instantly stood her guard.

* * *

"Who goes there?" Eve demanded, her senses sharpening instinctively at the unexpected noise.

Chung cursed himself for being so careless, and began plotting what he should do now that he has aroused suspicion.

_Should I just knock her out? No... that would be too risky, since she has my Guardian Stone. _Just as he was considering what he should do, Eve had glided towards him faster than Chung could react.

She grabbed his wrist, pinning it to his back and pointed a sharp knife to his throat.

"State your name." Despite being in the darkness, she had senses that was beyond even Chung's.

"..." Lifting his leg up into a kick, Eve managed to deflect it, letting go of the wrist in her hand in the process. With her pockets unguarded, he immediately slipped his hands into them and snatched the Guardian Stone.

Jumping into the moonlight as there were no other choice, he stared with blank eyes at Eve. While she raised a hand that glowed bright blue, ready to launch an electron ball, the assailant had brought pistols to point directly at her head.

She recognised the eyes that shot a dull gaze at her, and the face that was enveloped by blonde messy hair. The boy who she thought was just a fabrication in her mind stood in front of her very eyes.

* * *

Chung's cape fluttered effortlessly against the wind, but the arm he had raised refused to shift. Blonde locks of hair fell into place above his eyes as his head lowered, darkening his gaze menacingly.

The electron ball was ready to be shot, while his pistol could be fired just as fast. But the girl seemed to hesitate.

Her eyes widened, her lips beginning to part.

"Chung...?" The said person remained unflinching, but his inner turmoil began. How does she know his name?

* * *

Author's Note:

Smile: Yay for cliffhangers!

So before you all go thinking I shouldn't go posting such a big chapter all at once or something along those lines, I actually made this chapter really long on purpose, rather than separating it into two sections, but I'm gonna keep that to myself, since that would ruin the fun for me.

Elsword: ...Sadist.

Smile: -Pulls out knife- What did you say?

Chung and Raven: PUT THE KNIFE DOWN.

Disclaimer: I own nothing!


	5. Orphan

**Orphan**

_Patched up walls, blistered feet rubbing across uneven, wooded floors. The children were silent as they crossed the halls to get their ration of food, the worn out orphanage providing little shelter for their fragile bodies. Aisha, the only one with hair shaded violet, sat herself down at an empty table, tray in hand. Apparent heavy eye bags have formed under the chef's eyes as he laid trays with food, day after day._

_Her poker face in check, Aisha looked down at the sparse amount of food that was presented on the tray. Small cherry tomatoes lying on one leaf of lettuce, and one ladle scoop of creamy, cold mushroom soup. A piece of slightly hardened bread lay next to the soup, waiting to be devoured._

_Picking up a small fork, Aisha began chewing and sipping hungrily. It was deathly silent apart from the sounds of spoons knocking against platters, bread and teeth clattering._

_Doors being forcefully pushed open pierced through the ears of everyone present in the orphanage. A well-built man stormed in, with two bulkier men standing beside him who Aisha assumed were his henchmen. Glaring at every one of them like they were vermin. He then nodded towards a light grey haired girl who hunched over at a corner and was picking at her food._

_Her hair stuck out of different directions, jade green eyes staring at her plate of food. A cherry tomato rolled to the side as her fork failed to impale it, and she attempted to poke at it again, before strong arms suddenly grabbed hold of her, causing her to drop her fork. Stunned as she was suddenly jerked upwards, she lay limp in their grasp due to hunger and was took away._

_The last glimpse of white hair disappeared as the door closed. Aisha, having watched the entire scene unfold, whimpered softly, but not loud enough for others to hear. She knew what was going to happen to that girl, who she didn't know the name of._

_A sadistic laugh came from another room as Aisha spooned her soup through her lips, and a repeated "No, stop it! Please, stop it!" echoed across her ears. Brushing back her hair before it got caught in the soup, she began tearing a piece of bread before dipping it in her soup and biting it._

_The sound of a shirt tearing apart, and then a skirt obviously being pulled down forcefully. Aisha did her best to block out the sound of a girl's scream. Then the unzipping of trousers.  
_

_The same spluttering sounds as always. Aisha was so used to listening to the same sounds being repeated week after week. She folded her hands atop one another on her lap. She felt like throwing up what she had just eaten, and dreaded the day she will be dragged into that same room where a number of girls have lost their innocence to the wrong man._

**_The completely wrong man._**

_A sharp pain crossed her throat, and she began coughing violently, the world beginning to spin in a void of red and black._

* * *

"Aisha." A hand shook her shoulder gently.

Opening her eyes, Aisha turned over on her side to see Elsword staring straight into her lavender eyes. Invisible flames danced in his eyes as his dark eyelashes flickered when he blinked. Half asleep, Aisha didn't realise just how close the redhead was to her, each others' faces just inches away.

He removed his hand from her shoulder and poked her chubby cheeks, to which Aisha giggled at. He then began pinching the flesh hard, and she immediately sat up, alarmingly awake.

"W-w-what-what are you doing in my room?!" She rested her red cheek against her palm, grabbed hold of her pillow and began beating Elsword with it.

"You were sleeping in late again. I thought I should come wake you." He repelled the assault with a raised arm, then smirked with his eyes at her. "By the way, you were drooling."

"N-no I was not!" She quickly wiped a hand across her lips and hid it behind the pillow.

"Whatever you say. You were also mumbling in your sleep."

"Huh? What did I say?!" Aisha demanded. Amused by her reaction, he stood up and placed a hand on his hip, eyes shining mysteriously.

"Who knows, eh?" He walked out quickly, leaving the magician to contemplate on his words.

* * *

"You're awake Aisha!" Rena said politely as she continued on her salad sandwich.

"Yes. I had a nice nap." She stared at the two people who she hadn't known for a month, and blinked at Raven when her eyes settled on him.

"What?" Raven spoke flatly without lifting his eyes up from the book he was scanning through.

"Ah... it's nothing. By the way, where's Elsword?" Aisha tilted her head as she searched around the room.

"He's outside training. Something about his runes being incomplete." Rena smiled brightly as she patted her hands together to get rid of the crumbs. Nodding her thanks, Aisha turned to the door without catching the playful smirk dancing on the elf's lips.

Raven raised an eyebrow at her before dropping his head back down to his book.

* * *

Blazing eyes stared down at a hand, which formed a small rune above it, before closing his fingers in on it and destroying it. Elsword lay down on the grass he sat on, the tree shading him from the blazing sun.

Only five hours since lunch and he was already getting hungry, but he refused to eat until his control over runes were complete. Obviously, this was proving difficult for him.

Vanessa of Velder had told him that controlling runes would be difficult, even after he became a Rune Slayer, and she was right. He had pondered on whether he should ask for a magician's help, but he wasn't in the mood to have his pride crushed.

_'Allowing runes to stay airborne would require the rune to have considerable stability. As part of your training you'll have to figure out a way to control it, and don't think that this will be easy...'_

The sound of grass crunching softly came from above him. Looking up, he saw a shade of amethyst and immediately marked the person as: "Aisha."

"That's me." She said. Wind blew on her back, and in the process blew her skirt in the direction she most dreaded. Elsword shot upwards the moment blue flashed through the violet skirt.

Immediately bringing an arm up to hide his blush, he cleared his throat several times.

"Y-you saw... didn't you." She growled lowly, and summoned her winged staff. "YOU SAW DIDN'T YOU?!" Her feet fumbled underneath her as she lowered her stand and a blue glow emitted from her staff and crackles of electricity rushed up and down the weapon before it faded as Aisha crouched down, holding her head in embarrassment.

"Waah.." Aisha slumped back and held her cherry face between her gloved hands.

"It was blue." Elsword goaded. He always kept a straight face, which the magician finds mysteriously... annoying.

"...Humph, be quiet." Aisha crawled and sat a fair distance away from the boy, hugging her knees.

"What brings you here?"

"I wanted to say I'm sorry for what happened at the ship, but I'm not anymore."

"Heh. Wait. You're still worried about that? You need to learn to let go, girl. It's been... what, three weeks?"

"Mmm..." She dug her face into her knees as she shuddered slightly against the cold breeze. Her thick trails of violet hair beckoned the wind gently, before resting against her shoulders tied in low pigtails.

Elsword watched her intently before turning his head towards the sky.

"You know, you can always talk to me. I know you've not known me for that long, but it's better than having no one to talk to." Aisha jerked her head up. He had read straight through her.

"You sure know how to make things awkward..." She muttered.

"Shut up. You're the one making it even more awkward." They both pouted, and silence fell upon them.

"..._Thanks_." Aisha shifted uncomfortably.

"What?" He leaned in a little closer to her.

"I said thanks," Aisha shuffled an inch away, before unfolding her legs onto the grass. "but now's not the time to be thinking about your personal well being. We are on a mission." Elsword turned his head towards her, a hint of disbelief slapped on his face.

"So, the mission is more important than your feelings?"

"Of course," Aisha said harshly. "feelings are meaningless, and are things that only softhearted people would hang onto."

"But you're not an exception. You're still human, Aisha." She shook her head.

"You're not going to change my mind. Not now, not ever. Know this, Elsword of the Red Knights. Feeble existences such as emotions aren't worth it, seeing as it only creates false hope." Aisha played with threads of grass with her gloved hands, as though the conversation was nothing but talking to a child.

"..." Something shifted inside of Elsword, and he suddenly had an idea. "No matter what you say, I _will_ change your mind, whether you like it or not." A smirk suddenly beamed on his face, but Aisha just stared at it monotonously.

"We'll see about that." She challenged. Elsword lifted his head towards the sky again, his smirk disappearing. "Uhm... was I really talking in my sleep?"

"No. You were coughing like you had something stuck in your throat. For a second I thought you were gonna start coughing up blood."

Aisha gave him a slightly shocked expression before regaining her composure.

"I... had a dream of my past." She began, but didn't go into any further detail.

"Hmm. Maybe it's your age getting to you."

"Heh, says the one who's one year older than I am."

"Whatever. Being seventeen isn't so bad."

"But you still can't control your runes, right?"

"I know what you're trying to imply. You learned magic from a way younger age than me."

"You know, you can just ask me for help. Here, give me your hand." Elsword reluctantly held out his right hand. "Now, try summoning a rune." A bright red glow came from his palm and floated just centimetres off it. The redhead sighed before looking up at her with bright ruby eyes. Faint orbs of light emitted from it, flying high in the air before disappearing.

"The technique you use to summon and use runes is formidable, but an easier method is to concentrate the mana around your hand rather than all of it inside of your palm. Doing so will allow better control. Releasing the rune itself so it's airborne isn't as hard as you think. Try shaping your mana accordingly and-"

"Hold on. I don't want you to start blabbering on about really difficult things that I probably won't understand, so just tell me it simply." Elsword cut her off, and she looked at him dully.

"Should've seen that coming."

"What?"

"Basically, shape your mana accordingly and-"

"You're repeating yourself."

"LET ME FINISH."

"Alright, go on."

"Jeez... Anyways, change the flow of mana from your entire hand to the centre, where the rune will launch."

"Well I've never thought of that..."

"You were probably thinking of throwing everything you've got at the enemy."

"Heh, good guess."

"It's kind of obvious. Anyways, you won't learn unless you try." Elsword crushed the rune on his palm and did as he was told.

The moment he enveloped his hand with energy, the glow dimmed and the rune's capacity increased in size and probably power.

Next, he channeled mana to the centre, feeling the rune beginning to bob up and down at the change, almost like jumping on a bed.

"As you may have already figured, the mana at the centre acts as a propeller." He nodded at Aisha before stretching his arm out and attempted to blast it towards the tree trunk.

It lasted for a few seconds before it popped and disintegrated. Aisha tapped him on the shoulder.

"Don't force it with action. Will it to flow." Aisha clutched her left wrist gently, then attempted to pluck a daisy from the ground, but a strong hand stopped her.

"_Don't force it with action, _right?" Elsword repeated, and Aisha removed her hand, smiling at his words.

* * *

"Who's brilliant idea was it to do this?" Rena pouted. Raven and her were writing out reports they were to present to the Academy of El Masters once they return home, and the two were obviously finding it a pain to do. "Remind me next time to ask Aisha to do it with me."

"In that case, we'll have to have Elsword do everything himself." Raven began scanning through a thick portfolio. "Tch, he forgot to put Solace and Ebalon in here."

Rena groaned and set down stacks of paper on the table. Looping her finger around her mug handle, she sipped the contents as she picked up another file and began scribbling in it.

"Rena. Tell me what that thing was where it steals your mana."

"Mana Eater... Hold on, how on Elrios can you forget that?"

"It's existence annoys me."

"That's not a reason." Rena put down the pen and straightened her dress. Finishing the last sip of her coffee, she stood up.

"Where are you going? You still have a 20-page essay to do."

"Finished. You should hurry up as well." Rena grinned and skipped to the window, where the sun had begun to set. "Where's that Elsword and Aisha? We haven't seen them since... heck, two hours ago."

"They are probably prancing around looking for rabbit holes or something."

"That's not even funny Raven..." Rena looked closely at him. "You're reading from Elsword's portfolio aren't you?"

"Bingo." He said humourlessly before flipping to the next page, where a combination of neat and messy scribbles of writing were present. Raven sighed quietly.  
Rena glanced at the clock.

"We'll be setting off in about half an hour. Hopefully the troublemakers will make it back in time."

* * *

"What happened to you?" Rena spoke worriedly as she stared at the redhead and 'grapehead'.

"Oh this? Well I was getting too into training." Elsword whistled casually. Aisha had her arms crossed, glaring at him from the corner of her eye. Rena sighed at this, and beckoned them in.

"We're setting off in ten minutes. Pack everything and we'll catch you outside."

* * *

Elsword shuffled down the stairs and swung the back door open, where he saw Rena carrying her rucksack and Raven with a large sack on his back. Aisha was nowhere to be seen.

"And Aisha is..." Elsword began, before falling face first into the cold stone floor. "Ack!"

"Speak of the devil. Let's go!" Rena turned on her heel, chartreuse hair twirling alongside her. She fist bumped the air cheerfully and set off to the east. Aisha quickly got off of Elsword and skipped along with Rena. Raven, on the other hand, stared down at Elsword before poking him with a stick.

"What do you think you're doing?!" Elsword quickly flew onto his feet, his face as red as his hair.

"Heh, I guess you're fine." Raven grinned ever so slightly before following the girls. Grumbling, Elsword shut the door behind him and ran after the group.

* * *

The sun had only just dipped into the horizon, hazy clouds of red and orange decorating the ginger sky.

Aisha swirled her finger in circles, tracing the thin lines of cloud, amusing herself. Rena grinned cheerily before following the lavender eyes into the sky.

Raven and Elsword watched their heads turn to the heavens. The peaceful quietness calmed the four, but from time to time Rena's mind would wonder to a certain blonde haired boy, who's life may be in danger.

She shook the thought out of her head and kept in pace with Aisha. She rubbed her hands together for warmth, her breath clouding the air faintly. She glanced around the plains and suddenly a dark, large figure loomed over it.

"Look, Altera Village!" Rena beamed at everyone, and, grasping Aisha's hand, she began jogging towards the village as the thought of safety was close at hand. Raven and Elsword followed suit, and before long they were at the main streets of Altera Village, where a few people were still roaming about.

Shops were closing and windows were brightened by orange glows from lamps, chimneys puffing out grey smoke and the smell of rich and warm soup.

Elsword slowly lifted his nose into the air and took in the smell of food. There were hints of saliva on his lips, and Aisha grabbed him by his collar as she half-dragged him across the cobbled ground, tinted a sandy yellow by the setting sun.

"Hmm... I swear this is the way we're supposed to go..." Rena turned her head from left to right, and vice versa, her sharp green eyes darting from house to house. Raven silently took the lead, seeing as Rena was unsure for the first time since... well, two months. The sun was quickly sinking.

"That way."

"Huh? How are you so sure?" The elf glanced at Raven curiously.

"I've been here before. Now, follow me before you get lost." Crossing cottages and houses that had vines crawling up the structure, the four scrutinizing each construction before moving on. The sun still guided their way through the mazes of homes.

"We're here." Raven nodded to a structure larger than most of the others, and Aisha crawled her orbs of lavender up and down it.

"It looks kind of familiar." She muttered, before shrugging it off and began to follow the elf and half Nasod into the building. Elsword, on the other hand, lacked behind as he admired the village further before heading inside, closing the door behind him.

Spinning his head around, he regarded the wooden frames surrounding the entire room. It slithered across to every other room, and green plants and antiques decorated the brown room from place to place. The party climbed two flights of stairs and the smell of lemon and honey hung in the air, and clanging echoed from down a dark hallway.

"Chief Adel? Are you there?" Aisha called, and there was no answer. Raven raised an eyebrow and crept across the hall where the suspicious noise came from. As he was halfway down the hall, he heard murmuring before it drifted off and was replaced by the sound of a clack.

Rena pressed herself against a nearby wall, while Aisha followed. Elsword kneeled down onto the mat spread across the floor, and the tension was quickly ascending.

Shuffling, then creaks. Raven readied himself before a furred pongo emerged from the opening door, who chuckled without any hint of disrespect.

"Sorry, I was discussing a few things with someone. Raven and Aisha's group I suppose. You are indeed an experienced group. As you already know, I am Adel, chief of Altera Village." The old pongo drawled softly, ruffled cheeks twitched into a smile. Everyone eased from their defensive posts.

"My apologies as well. We thought there may have been an infiltration in here." Rena strolled towards Adel, smiling softly at him. At this, Adel's cheeks lowered.

"First thing's first. The letter told me of a fifth member..." He raised an eyebrow at them. Rena and Aisha dipped their chin slightly before raising it again.

"Yes... But circumstances have separated us and we are not sure of his location." Raven said dully, and Adel tilted his head, a smile reappearing on his lips.

"I see. In that case, I know where he is. However, I cannot tell you as of right now. I understand that doing this will make me appear less trustworthy, but you'll just have to trust me." Adel said, and Aisha, squinting her eyes at him, nodded in satisfactory.

"I understand. Being the ancient chief you are, you must have a reason for this."

"Thank you... Aisha?" Aisha nodded again, and Adel held out a hand behind him. "I shall show you to your chambers in that case. This way." He followed his paw before setting it beside him and began walking down the inky blackness, which he was obviously accustomed to. Rena, with her sharpened senses, followed the elderly pongo and everyone else soon did the same.

Each were offered their own rooms, and they settled themselves down.

Despite the short trip from one place to another, they were exhausted from constant battles they faced. Rena immediately threw herself onto the soft bed, leaving her belongings on the floor despite being an organised person.

Aisha left hers on her own bed and walked out the room. Her dream was still bothering her a little and was threatening to keep her awake all night. She crossed the dark halls to the living room at the very back of the entire structure. The room was filled with pure white, with only a few traces of wood. Chairs were a pale grey and tables as dark as coffee. What drew her attention, though, was the balcony.

_I've never been on a balcony..._ Aisha strolled towards it curiously, and she attempted to pull it open, but it didn't budge.

"You idiot. You have to push it." A deep drawl came from behind, and Aisha leaped backwards, almost yelping.

"Ah...! Oh, it's just you, Elsword." Aisha held a gloved hand to her chest as she tried to calm herself. Elsword nodded slightly hesitantly.

"Just wanted to sit somewhere quiet." He leaned over Aisha as he pushed a door open gently. "See?" Aisha pulled a face to herself, before the wind blew it away. Her expression immediately changed as she popped her eyes open.

Jogging slightly, she ended up at the other end of the balcony and peered out. The whole Altera Village was visible, and she admired the splash of colour that blended so well together.

Elsword turned around as he pulled out a book, containing studies of runes, from his pocket, and relaxed himself on a chair, his ankle rested on his thigh as he began flipping through the pages.

Aisha smiled to herself, the night air contrasting from the afternoon breeze. She admired the night as much as she did the day. Billions of stars in the sky which she could pick out, and the bright moon that never failed to reflect her feelings.

Unfolding his ankle, Elsword placed the book on his revealed abdomen as he read the boring text which he already remembers by heart. Snapping it shut, he caught the attention of Aisha, who had just been counting the stars. She tilted her head, her features gentle unlike usual. Elsword smirked inwardly at this, musing himself before dragging his eyes off her.

_Weird girl. First she's all strict and demanding and ... _He stopped himself from continuing that thought. He's hardly known her for a few weeks, and he wasn't about to become her friend.

"I'm going to sleep." Elsword stood up abruptly and strode off to his room again. Ignoring his exit, Aisha turned back to counting the stars, her eyes half-closed. Trees rustling, owls hooting, and a few birds adding a chorus to the owl's regular tune.

* * *

**Author's Note**:

Smile: Yep. Late update. I blame homework! School is being such an annoying little... um, yeah, anyways. I only just understood how to use 'its' and 'it's', and I'm glad I've cleared up my own confusion. I actually have so much more to talk about here but my brain isn't working. I was definitely supposed to tell you something about the story but I forgot... Ah! One thing. I think I'm moving this a bit quickly... Or maybe it's just me. I hope you guys still like this! Oh, and thank you to everyone who enjoys reading this, reviewed, favourited and followed! I want some criticism too though, so don't be afraid to tell me~

I won't be able to answer reviews since I'm too lazy. But, maybe someday.

Disclaimer: I own nothing!


	6. Plan

**Plan  
**

_How does she know my name?_

Chung's gaze darkened further, his grip on the Silver Shooter tightening as his wariness soared. Eve immediately bit her lip for being so careless as to show any weakness. She began charging her electron ball again, and the blue glow in her hand illuminated the garden. The flowers surrounding them stopped dancing to watch them, but the wind refused to calm.

Knowing that she cannot undue what she had said, Eve prepared to battle the intruder.

* * *

_"Chung... Chung! Isn't there anything we can do?! Please... answer me..." The girl managed to speak after a while of sobbing into the chest of the red-head._

_**Chung...? I know that name...** Golden eyes glanced up as they saw the said person who she hadn't noticed standing amidst the whole scene._

_That's right... I... I was..._

_The boy carried eyes as vast as the ocean, but the sadness and almost a sense of solitude which glowed from them could not be missed. Partially hiding his expression was his soft locks of cream coloured hair, spiking upwards as it reached the back. There were two sections of hair that were tainted a dark brown at the tip, and it appeared as though they were animal ears._

_...Are they... really dead?_

_It framed his face slightly. Suddenly, he turned away, the two azure scarfs fluttering around behind his back. A low ponytail hung on his back, tied back with a blue band. Although his expression could not be read, he was biting his lip gently._

_...What should I do?_

* * *

It was Eve's first time seeing a person from the outside world with her own two eyes, but it was not her first time seeing this person. She bit her lip again, softly this time. The boy didn't seem to react in any way, but she was sure that he was confused, just as much as she was.

She had so many questions in her mind, but she no longer knows what they are. This person is someone she thought only existed in her dreams, but now her doubts are cleared; this boy definitely exists.

She almost felt like she betrayed herself.

Eve mentally shook herself, and plastered on her face was a poker face.

Who was this boy? What does he want? Why did he appear in her dreams? But most importantly, what is he to her?

She lowered her arm ever so slightly. Eve could almost feel herself laughing humourlessly at these questions. Such cliché questions that most likely won't be answered.

Without warning, Chung ran up to Eve, and raised an arm to her shoulder, pushing her to the ground and pinned her down, holding a Silver Shooter to her forehead.

"Move and I'll shoot." He whispered, his dark drawl causing Eve to narrow her eyes at him. The energy in the silver-haired girl's hand vanished as she stared blankly at the blonde haired boy who threatened to pull the trigger.

Eve remained silent, her arms stiff at her sides. Her long trails of silver hair curled under her, a few strands resting itself on her pale cheeks and hid the azure markings underneath her eyes.

She raised an arm to his wrist, gripping it tightly and twisting it. He lost his grip on her shoulder as a result, and within a few seconds, she had pinned the arm behind his back again and flipped their positions, her knee digging itself into his other arm and her other hand reaching for Oberon's knife.

The Silver Shooter lay out of reach, and Chung scowled to himself. He turned his head, cerulean eyes meeting lifeless golden ones. Something was different about this girl that probably Rena couldn't match up to, and he could see what it was: mercilessness. One wrong move and he would lose his life.

"Please..." She began. "Tell me who you are." Chung stared up in surprise. What is wrong with this girl?

"..." He stared at her. "You already know my name. How much more do you need to know?" She stared back at him.

Suddenly, the silver haired girl's eyes became fogged with a sense of solitude, but disappeared as quickly as it appeared. She remained quiet, the stare of emptiness maintaining on her face.

The dress she wore bore the signature of Altera, and the blue gem on her forehead glimmered brightly.

"...Should you not introduce yourself, seeing as you already know my name?" Eve blinked a few times as Chung spoke and his body relaxed underneath her.

"I do not see the point in me having to tell you my name." She said defensively.

"If you release me I can give you a reason to my rude intrusion." Eve considered Chung's deal, and pocketed Oberon's knife which was held to Chung's throat. She snapped her fingers and Moby and Remy swiftly flew towards her, holding a rope between them, and tied Chung's arms together.

* * *

Oberon snapped his head away from the demon he fought, and Ophelia slapped him across the helmet, a habit picked up from a certain someone.

"The Princess is in trouble!" Oberon shouted.

"Now is not the time. We have to deal with this first." Ophelia said calmly, and shot to her left as a demon ran up to her with a spear.

"B-but..." Oberon crossed his arms and blasted a shockwave to his right and he watched as demons was caught in the attack.

"No buts. We are in a battlefield, and our duty right now is to fight off this stream of demons." Although she was calm, Ophelia was, in reality, scared for the Princess' safety.

* * *

Eve listened intently to the blonde, her cheek rested against her palm and her elbow on her thigh as she sat on the hard concrete of the fountain. Chung sat on the patch of grass before her, and told her of Adel's suspicions while being careful not to reveal too much.

"...And that's just about it."Chung finished with a nod, sitting cross-legged and watching Eve stare at his Destroyer.

"I see. I cannot comment much on this matter, but rest assured there is no need to..." Eve stopped mid-sentence. What if they really were working with the demons?

Chung looked up as she fell silent. Although well hidden, her doubt was obvious to him.

"Up until now, they are suspicions. We won't know if the King and Queen truly are working with the demons." He watched as the moonlight brightened the girl's face, her pale skin shining slightly and her cherry lips with streaks of light coming from it. Indeed she was bewitching.

"Uhm..." Eve was also watching him, and he quickly snapped his head away from her gaze.

"My apologies." He spoke quietly, and they both looked at anything except each other with blank expressions.

Twirling her silver locks of hair slightly, she glanced at him from the corner of her eye. This boy from her dreams, with his blonde hair and brown patches on a layer of hair and eyes that reflected the sky itself. She immediately remembered something, and fished her fingers through her pockets.

"It's gone." She whispered, more to herself than anyone, but the boy heard her.

"You must be talking about that Guardian Stone you had found. It was mine in reality, and I had dropped it some time ago." Chung said vacantly.

"That possession of yours gave me... odd dreams." Eve said hesitantly. "Dreams of you."

Chung raised an eyebrow, never recalling his Guardian Stone ever doing such a thing. But she knew his name, and he had never even encountered this girl in his life, so in all likeliness she is speaking the truth.

"Is that so..." He spoke thoughtfully.

"You had adventures with a group of friends, and I saw the outside world for the first time thanks to these dreams." A smile slipped on her lips, and the atmosphere around her warmed up. "There were beautiful dreams, but also sad ones, all of which I'm not sure are true or not. But I do know that you are indeed real, rather than just a fabrication of those dreams."

* * *

_Laughter filled the air as five people sat down under the cold night. They surrounded a small fire, each cuddling themselves in a blanket as they drank from small cups._

_Happy times._

_An ebony haired swordsman chuckling at the stories being told, a Wind Sneaker smiling brightly alongside him. A short magician had fallen asleep while listening to the crackles of the fire, and leaned against a boy who had crimson hair matched his eyes. He blushed faintly as he attempted to ignore the purplenette sleeping against him, but his efforts were futile._

_Cerulean eyes blinked slowly as he watched his friend in amusement. It's been a while since he had seen the redhead blush like that.  
_

_"S-stop staring! Help me a little at least!" The boy whispered sharply as he blushed a deeper red when the purplenette fell on his lap and spoke softly in her sleep._

* * *

Eve's smile turned sad as a certain dream flashed through her mind. Perhaps it was envy lingering in her heart.

"For the first time, huh." Chung muttered. "I'll take you to the outside world."

"P-pardon?" Eve stuttered, failing to grasp the whole concept.

"I am willing to take you beyond the walls that imprison you."

"I-I think you are mistaken..." She suddenly became flooded with a question that never crossed her mind. Was she truly imprisoned? Chung waited patiently, obviously unwilling to take no for an answer. "Of course, I wish to see what it is like outside of this palace, but my father has ordered me to stay within the castle walls, and I am not about to disobey him."

"Abiding by the rules... life is too short for that." Chung said, looking down at the ground as his hair shaded his eyes from sight. "What makes life more than a word is the experiences you gain from it."

Eve contemplated his words. They were so short, but so meaningful. Was his father's orders truly that important? The logic behind keeping her confined is puzzling. And perhaps she can find a reason for her life if she went beyond those walls.

"Please take me with you." The boy looked up upon hearing her answer, his eyes gleaming with a smile but his lips stayed remote. "But for tonight we'll pretend we never saw one another. Only tomorrow night will we set off."

"But what are you going to do with me now?"

"You would not have been able to sneak in any further than this garden, whether I was here or not, so I will allow you to leave this castle in one piece. You are lucky I am the one you ran into tonight."

* * *

Eve plopped herself on her bed. The boy had left shortly after their conversation. His way with that immense cannon amazed her; it probably weighed more than a grown man, and he had carried it as though it were nothing but a pen. Or perhaps that was exaggerating it.

She suddenly noticed how her heart throbbed at an abnormal rate, and she felt as though a weight from her chest had been removed. Why hadn't she noticed before? What is this feeling flowing from within her? Did she make the right decision to go with the boy?

His appearance, much clearer than her foggy dreams. His voice, a soft drawl of mysteriousness. Humming subconsciously to herself, she stared at Remy and Moby, who had entered dormant mode the moment Chung left_._

She realised just how much he flooded her mind, and placed a hand on her chest as she felt the pulsating beats of her heart. Eve had finally made a friend.

* * *

"Ah, I see you have returned pong." Adel said, smiling his relief.

"Yes, however I return with no news." Chung said flatly.

"I see. Well, we shouldn't expect too much as nasods with enhanced mechanisms guard the castle pong."

"..." Chung remained quiet, and decided to tell Adel the whole story when the time is right. He bid Adel a good night, and turned to exit.

_'You are lucky I am the one you ran into tonight', I suppose that is true. _He thought to himself as he relaxed on his bed once out of his Freiturnier.

_Tomorrow night, huh? I haven't even had the chance to ask her for her name again. _Unknowingly, he looked forward to what the future had in store for him.

* * *

_Aisha was grabbed hold of by two men, and the other orphans ignored her loud protests to be let go._

_It was finally her turn._

_Thrown into the room where her innocence would be stolen, men pinned her bony arms to the cobbled ground._

**_No..._**

_A man with eyes that longed to touch the silken skin of children no more than twelve years of age reached forward with strong fingers, his wide smirk mimicking that of a tyrant. With no hesitation and patience, he effortlessly tore away Aisha's jacket to reveal a white tank top that ran down in a smooth sheet.  
_

_He scowled in disappointment at her, but continued._

**_Stop..._**

_This disgusting, vile man who feeds his eternal hunger for sexual contact. This sinful and sickening man who will persist in his acts of shamelessness._

_Aisha fought hard to hide her weakness._

_He ignored her torso and began on the belt that was too big for her tiny waist. Throwing it away, he tore at the fraying skirt, lifting his leg and trapping her short ones._

**_Please, stop..._**

_His hand crawled up onto her soft thighs, lingering there as he stroked the velvety layer of skin._

_Aisha couldn't hold it in any longer. Escaping from her lips were soft whimpers, and her assaulter began to chuckle madly as his fingers began to tug on her undergarments.  
_

_The place where he would leave deep scars, in body and soul._

**_Stop!_**

_Her whimpers echoed away as her body began to glow a faint tomato. The treacherous man ceased his tugging and pulled away._

_Those who pinned her down began to back away, and Aisha's hand pulsated a deep shade of salmon, almost the colour of blood._

_What replaced the fear in her heart, was now rage. Rage that has built up throughout the days where she watched each girl be dragged away and violated, as though they hadn't suffered enough._

_The colours of the sun began to swirl in a circle around Aisha whose clothes were almost shredded to pieces._

_Orange and yellow began to accompany the bloody red light, and flames as fervent as Aisha's feelings flickered in circles as screams of being burnt alive livened the quiet orphanage. All was peaceful for Aisha, however. She lay there, cold despite the passionate, burning flames surrounding her. Tears streamed down her face as she clutched to her chest a small moonstone._

* * *

Aisha flew her head up from her pillow, eyes wide open as she gasped for breath. The dream left her in cold sweat.

_That was no dream. That was... my past..._

When her breath returned to normal, she pulled her duvet to hide her face and began to sob quietly into it.

_Why must I be shown these again...?_

As salty tears ran down her cheeks, a knock came from her door. Too lost in thought, Aisha didn't realise somebody had entered her room.

Elsword stood in the doorway and watched as the magician sat crying alone. Her small shoulders maneuvered up and down as muffled sniffles came from her lips. Unsure of what to do, he stood there and watched, before setting a foot in the room and stretched his arm out towards Aisha. However, he stopped himself. How can he comfort her when he doesn't know her that well?

Taking steps back, he slowly closed the door shut.

* * *

"Good morning!" Aisha called cheerily as she entered the living room. Adel, Rena, Elsword and Raven looked up and returned Aisha's greeting.

"Now that everyone has gathered, I would like to let you into a little surprise pong." Adel grinned happily at each of them. Elsword ignored it as he peered up at Aisha's face. Serious but slightly friendly.

Nothing like the girl who was crying half an hour ago.

Rena smiled curiously as she awaited the surprise along with Raven. Suddenly a lazy, familiar voice came from behind the door.

"Adel? Are you there?" It said.

"C-could it be...?" Rena sat on the edge of the sofa, ready to jump on her feet. The door cracked open and blonde hair with two chocolate patches peeked through.

"Chung!" Elsword dragged his eyes away from Aisha to Chung as he practically ran up and wrestled him to the floor. "Where have you been?!"

"Woah! Hey you guys."

"Ehehe, Chung, we missed you!" Rena said, jumping happily from her seat on the sofa. Raven closed his eyes patiently, but it was clear he was relieved. Aisha smiled at the two childhood friends on the floor, and prepared to sit down.

Peeling Elsword off of himself, Chung ruffled his hair and sat down with the group, happy to be reunited.

"Thanks to Aisha's mana shield, it saved my life. But I was knocked out for three weeks and I found myself here, with Adel here to inform me about everything." Chung explained, and they all nodded.

"I understand that you are all excited to be reunited, but now is not the greatest time to celebrate. The demon invasion is close at hand, but we are not the only ones about to be invaded. Hamel has suffered a demon attack just yesterday." Adel said, and Elsword's head turned worriedly towards Chung, but he remained calm, even at the mention of Hamel.

Hamel had almost collapsed thirteen years ago when the previous King of Altera erupted a war with Hamel. Chung had been staying in Velder with Elsword at the time, who trained with the Red Knights, but when he had returned, his own country had been partially destroyed.

"We will set off to war in five days. Please be ready before then."

* * *

**Author's Note:**

I've been so busy with school and Elsword (I finally got CBS! It took quite a while.), I didn't have time to write up a chapter in one day... Also, I was busy planning some stuff and all. Yeah, that's my excuse. Short note today, but I'm glad that people actually read this story despite it not being very good.

Anyways, the next chapter would probably have romance in it. Ah mah gawd, I'm so excited for that!

Disclaimer: I own nothing! Well, apart from the story.


	7. Freedom

**Note: **Those who found Chapter 5 and 6 to be the same, please go read chapter 5 now! Apologies for the mishap!

* * *

**Freedom**

After the meeting, Aisha returned to her bedroom. It was tough trying to ignore her past, but it's even worse trying to hide it from others.

_I hope they didn't notice anything. _She flung herself on her bed, laughing at herself. She lied to everyone. A lie about how she truly felt. But even she doesn't know what she's feeling right now. Sorrow? Pity for herself?

She rolled over and clutched her pillow, curling up into a ball. Tears began to prick at her eyes, and she fought to hold them back, but failed miserably. Warm tears soaked the pillow and Aisha slapped herself gently, attempting to stop crying. The amount of people she killed at the orphanage brought despair to her. She was a cruel murderer, and what made it worse was their deaths were for her sake, for her to save herself.

She could atone for her sins by killing herself, but the mission was more important. Plus, she has her own studies to think about. She can't let everyone down for her personal reasons.

As her tears and sobs subsided, Aisha sat up, and ran a hand over the pillow where it was damp. Its shade of white was identical to the tank top she wore four years, when she was a twelve-year-old orphan. She shuddered as she thought of a certain man, with his sadistic smirk, lustful eyes and disgusting hands touching her.

Wiping him out of her mind, Aisha stood and walked towards the mirror. Her eyes were red, but she always covered one side of her eye with her purple hair, so it should be fine. Or she could just stay in her room for a while before dinner came.

Staring at her reflection, she reached a hand up to her chest, then sighed at her size. Rena popped up in her head, and her abundant size. A hint of jealousy crept up her mind, but she shook her head. She should focus on the mission at hand, not what her own appearance is like. Turning her head, she saw the moonstone she has had since a long time ago. Probably since her orphanage days.

Then, she eyed a small knife she used to cut tape on a small box when she couldn't tear off the stubborn tape. Narrowing her eyes, she pushed it away.

* * *

Brushing her hair with her fingers, Rena secured her ponytail. Then, turning towards the wooden dummy before her, she readied her stance, and struck it with a few basic kicks, before swiftly swinging her leg above her head and struck the dummy with a roundhouse kick. The object shook violently the moment the attack connected.

Rena took a deep breath, as if speaking with Nature, and her legs became illuminated in a bright light as she gathered mana into her body. Again, she lifted her leg high above her head, but as she brought her leg down in incredible speed, a crescent light escaped her legs, striking the dummy, then she jumped in the air, unleashing a second kick that cut its midriff and then the final strike, a downward kick.

She spun and danced, her ponytail swinging round in mighty arcs. The crescents cut the wood cleanly, and fell with a loud thud. Rena moved out of her stance and stretched her arms and legs. Wiping the sheen of sweat away from her forehead with her lawn green sleeves, she turned and walked away from the training field.

Stepping into the shower, Rena thoroughly washed the sweat away and tapped on the shower head boredly. Training was exhausting, but that was a part of it.

Ever since she found out Chung was safe and actually landed at their final destination, her mind had become a lot clearer and she could concentrate better.

Wrapped in a fluffy towel and her hair - a mix between blonde and green - dripped with water, she looked for the green, black white dress she usually wore while tossing her dirty training suit in a small basket next to her bed.

Unwrapping herself, she felt kind of self-conscious despite being in the safety of her room. Her chest was noticeable, and it sometimes got in the way during training and battles, so she wraps them to keep them in place.

Dressing herself and tying her hair back, she placed a lily hair clip next to the ponytail, with black ribbons flowing from it and enveloping her thick trail of hair. She added two lilies to the left side of her head, and smiled to herself as she opened the door and skipped down the hallway.

She stopped in front of Aisha's bedroom door. She heard quiet murmurs behind the door, and decided to knock.

"Aisha? Are you alright in there?" Rena said worriedly, and when no answer came and the murmuring had stopped, she turned the knob and what she saw almost made her choke.

Aisha had a small knife held in hand, hovering dangerously above her wrist. But something seemed to be stopping the purple head. Rena immediately rushed to Aisha's side and grabbed the knife by the hilt.

"Aisha... what do you think you're doing?!" She whispered, looking into the girl's face. It was completely void of any expression.

"I don't deserve to live... I don't deserve to live... I don't deserve to live..." Aisha murmured repetitively as she stared down at her hands, unaware of Rena's presence.

"Don't lead yourself to believe!" Rena almost shouted, and shook Aisha by shoulders. The light in her lavender eyes returned, and she looked up in surprise, lavender meeting lawn green eyes. "Your life is precious, and not something to be thrown away so easily!"

"W-what's wrong Rena?" Aisha said confusingly, and looked down to see the knife. "H-huh? What am I doing... holding this knife?"

"Aisha..." The elf stared suspiciously at her and let out a deep breath. "As long as you are alright... But don't you remember what you were about to do?"

"No. All I can remember is me...becoming lost in thought."

"..." Rena blinked twice as she looked down at the floor. She grabbed the knife and dropped it near the mirror. "You were about to cut yourself... for a second I thought you were really going to do it." She said finally, her voice shaking.

"I-I don't know what got over me. I'm sorry." Aisha said, and Rena pulled her into a hug as her memories felt slightly fogged. "If I truly was about to cut myself, then I'm truly grateful that you stopped me."

"Please, don't scare me like that again..." Rena said calmly, and Aisha nuzzled herself against the unusual gesture.

* * *

Rena left Aisha in her room while pocketing the knife. What had gone over the girl? What would have made her consider cutting herself like that? But what confused her the most was how she didn't have any recollection of wanting to cut herself.

"Odd..." Rena murmured to herself, and Raven caught her standing outside Aisha's room.

"Rena. What are you doing?" He asked quietly.

"..." The elf looked up at Raven, and wondered if she could trust him. Well, he's probably the most trustworthy person at the moment. "It's about Aisha. We'll talk in my room."

* * *

"So what's this about Aisha?" Raven shut the door behind him as he settled on a wooden chair next to the window. Rena settled down on her bed.

"There's something odd going on about her. Just now, I checked up on her since she seemed to be talking to herself, and you do know how she doesn't usually do that right? She's a quiet girl who doesn't talk to herself like that." Raven nodded at her. "When I entered her room, she held a knife." His eyebrows raised slightly before dropping down again. "She was pointing it to her wrist and... muttering 'I don't deserve to live'. I feared the worst, but I was able to stop her."

"What would drive her to cut herself like that?" He asked, more to himself than Rena.

"I'm not sure. She didn't seem to have any recollection of having intentions to cut herself, and that's what worries me the most. What if I wasn't around and she died of blood loss?" Rena leaned her elbows on her thighs and rested her cheeks in her palm. "And even if we ask her directly, she definitely won't tell us why she would even consider self-harm."

"You're right about that. For now, we'll wait until she is ready to tell us everything. We don't really know much about her after all." Rena nodded at Raven.

"In that case, let's put that matter to the side. We have five days to prepare for the incoming invasion, surely we'll be needing some formation plans?"

"Hmph, I've already thought of them. We'll go over them together shall we?"

* * *

Elsword yawned as he finished an essay concerning the Master of Fire, 'Rosso'. Folding it and placing it in a drawer, he stood up and stretched, arms and legs stiff from sitting in the same position for over two hours. Peering at the empty glass cup on his desk, he picked it up and went to get a refill of water.

As he walked past a series of doors, he came across Chung, who wore the same blank expression. Whenever the Prince is around Elsword, however, his expression softens slightly.

"Yo Chung!"

"Hey Elsword. What are you doing?" Elsword held up his empty glass. "I see, well don't drink too much, otherwise you will be going to the bathroom quite a few times." Elsword grinned lightly, and Chung walked past the redhead.

Elsword stared after the blonde, before sighing and continued making his way to the kitchen.

It was 5:32pm.

As he entered the kitchen, he found Aisha sitting at the table, cupping a mug of hot chocolate between her hands. As he stared at her profile, the sun that had hidden behind the clouds revealed its prideful glow and Aisha's face lit up in response. Her violet eyes that had been foggy with darkness brightened as she stared into the swirling, steaming drink.

Her dark purple pigtails was now a lighter shade of violet, flowing down her shoulders in wispy tresses, pale skin reflecting the light. Her feet rested again the chair leg underneath her, back straight and deep in thought.

Elsword placed the cup down on the table and pulled out a chair opposite of Aisha. She looked up, surprised, and a small smile flashed across her face before vanishing.

"Hey Aisha. How long are you going to keep staring into your hot chocolate? Are you sure you're not trying to shoot a hole through the mug?" He joked, but Aisha didn't appear fazed, unlike usual.

"Ah... Sorry, I was just thinking." She said, looking away from Elsword's crimson gaze.

"You've done a lot of thinking lately. Are you alright?" He leaned forward slightly, waiting for an answer.

"...I'm fine." She said finally, continuing to avoid eye contact with his fiery eyes.

"I'm sure you're anything but fine." He reached out a hand and poked her forehead, and Aisha reacted by slapping his hand lightly.

"What was that for?"

"To wake you up. You were falling into a trance." He grinned happily in front of her for the first time, and she immediately blushed a light pink. She feigned covering her forehead where had just poked to hide her blushing cheeks.

"Hmph. You're just finding an excuse to poke me." She pouted. Removing her sleeved arms, she looked up to find Elsword with a teasing grin, which caused her to maintain her pout.

Rena, hiding behind the door, smirked happily at Aisha and Elsword's little 'conversation'. Raven came up behind her and leaned over, blowing into her neck. Holding back a yelp, Rena turned around sharply and held a finger to her lip, gesturing him to be quiet.

Aisha noticed their presence, but ignored them.

"So, what brings you here at this time? I suppose you weren't planning to cook, since you would probably cook the kitchen as well as your food."

"Hey, I'm actually quite a good cook you know! I only came to get a refill of water, but I saw you just sitting there so I thought I might as well strike up a conversation."

"I see." Taking a sip of the hot chocolate, she smiled softly as it warmed her. Elsword, catching her rare smile, couldn't help but feel a warming sensation in his chest.

_She... actually looks kind of cute, smiling like that... Wait, what am I thinking? I barely even know this girl! _Elsword mentally slapped himself as he looked outside the window rather than Aisha's smile, his chin rested against his palm. The girl looked up at him, her gaze causing him to feel nervous.

"Can I ask what you're looking at?" Elsword's eye twitched nervously at the unexpected question.

"N-n-nothing." He stuttered, and he buried his face into his upturned hand, attempting to hide the redness creeping up his face.

_What's wrong with me?! _Standing up abruptly, he picked up his cup and filled it with cold water and gulped it down harshly. Setting it down, he muttered, "I-I'm going back... to my room." Aisha stared after him in confusion, before continuing to sip her hot chocolate, again in thought.

Rena, seeing that Elsword was walking towards them, pushed Raven by the back and crept out of sight, while Elsword made his way to his room, leaving his cup of water in the kitchen.

* * *

"There you are Adel." Chung called as he entered Adel's office after knocking. "I have something to attend to in the village, so please excuse my absence during that time."

"I understand pong." Adel replied quickly as he skimmed through sheets of paper and setting them down after stamping them.

Turning around, Chung left the busy pongo and shut the door to his office.

8:54pm. He had checked outside for any people who could be roaming on the dark streets, and once he had confirmed that nobody would be leaving their homes, he went to the back door and, shtutting the door as quietly as he could, he adjusted the cannon on his back and the orichalcum placed upon it. He placed one slow step on the sandy ground, and began running soundlessly, despite the Destroyer on his back and the Freiturnier he wore, in the case that something were to happen to him.

As he approached the castle walls, he immediately jumped, placing the cannon underneath himself with no effort and blasted himself up just as he had done before.

Landed gently on the other side, the grass underneath him bowed as he stepped on them, creating _fzt _sounds. Looking around the familiar garden and smelling the air, it reminded him of the girl. The sweet scent of sweet pea allowed the graceful silver-haired girl to come to mind.

A voice floated through his ears, an angelic, melodious sound that calmed him.

**_Long ago, inside a distant memory..._**

Chung turned his head, trying to locate the sweet voice.

**_There is a voice that says..._**

For a second, he looked up to the moon, as though he was asking it to give him the voice's owner.

**_Do you believe a world of happy endings?_**

Turning the corner, he caught sight of glossy silver hair among flowers of violet, blue and pink. He had her back to him, wearing the same mullet dress as before, but her hair was braided on both sides of her head this time.

Her arms curled up and her hands clenched together on her chest, the singing voice drifted from her, soft but powerful with emotion. She stopped when she heard steps coming closer towards her.

She turned around, loose strands of silver locks fluttering across her face. It shone a brighter colour of silver in the bright glow of the moon, and he admired her hair for a second, before nodding towards her.

Just then, he noticed her take off a small tiara from her head, and set it down on the concrete of the fountain she had just sang a song to.

"This place where I have known for sixteen years, I bid it farewell..." She murmured, and Chung stared at her. This girl truly is a mysterious princess.

"Shall we go, princess?" He held out a strong arm towards her, and Eve looked down, before placing her delicate hand atop his, nodding.

"This decision I make... should be correct, right?" She said and looked up at him, her golden orbs doubtful.

"I assure you it is correct. You deserve to leave this prison." He said, as he lead her to the very back of the castle. "That reminds me, I haven't heard your name yet. May I know what name you go by?"

Eve looked up from the hand she was staring at. It felt warm, and she had never held a hand in hers before. His hand gripped her delicate ones gently.

"My name is... Eve." She said slowly.

_Eve..._ Chung repeated in his head.

"We'll be leaving by climbing up here. I believe you have the ability to glide over this wall?" Eve nodded, snapping her fingers. Remy and Moby immediately appeared at her side, looking up at their master, then at the blonde. He nodded. "Shall we?"

Eve jumped high in the air, before nimbly performing a few dashes in the air. Chung accompanied her with his cannon sending him high in the air.

Eve had already landed on the other side, and he took care not to land on her.

"I have never thought of leaving by gliding over the way before..." She muttered, and Chung looked at the top of her head. She was small in height and body shape, standing about a head shorter than him, her dress leaving her slim shoulders bare but enough to cover everything.

Eve looked just like a doll, with her porcelain skin, petite structure and piercing, golden eyes.

"Well, you've just done it." He reminded her. She chuckled under her breath, and walked ahead, beckoning him gently.

"Aren't you going to show me the way?" She said with slight humour in her voice.

"Hmph, of course, princess."

* * *

**Author's Note**

I'm kind of proud of myself, being able to write within the course of... two days? I'm usually busy procrastinating, but I actually feel pretty excited doing this! Sorry for not putting much romance in this chapter... I mean, it's still early in the story! The good stuff should come later!

I've decided to answer to my reviewers (Elsword: Yes, finally! It's a miracle!).

And finally, answers to my reviewers:

**Awakened Hades: **Eve is just too awesome to NOT join the brawl! Speaking of Eve and brawling, it hurts how she can run and beat people up in PvP at the same time... Anyways, enough with depressing PvP, we're talking about an actual, proper fight here!

**Orithia WindBell: **Wow, thank you so much for sticking to this story since the beginning! Don't worry, there's still a lot more for you to look forward to. By the way, thank you for welcoming me, hehe. And I'm glad I managed to make your day, you made my day by me making your day... I'm not even sure if that makes sense.

**Melodoki: **What'll happen next you ask? Well, my dear, more awesomeness!

**TimeSplice:** Thank you for the welcome!I know this is late, but welcome to FF too!

**Cloudy Rabbit: **I tried my best, but I became lazy to describe everyone so that you could know which class is which... but at least the mystery has been solved if you read every chapter!

**Tsurara-Oikawa Chan: **Thank you for the congratulations! TT, huh... I can't wait for him to beat people up, as if CBS' homing lasers weren't enough! The thought of ShG becoming TT makes me think of Pikachu evolving into Raichu... Anyways, thank you for the welcome!

**Syup: **I'm sorry, I accidentally changed the fifth chapter while I was half-asleep in the middle of night! I wanted to make Eve less reliant on weapons. Her slap of doom really made me want to give her hand to hand combat experience.


	8. Mornings

**Mornings  
**

The village was quiet, with only the chirps of bugs to break the silence. Eve admired the structures of strange and unfamiliar buildings, and looked at the cobbled floor in which she never stepped on before.

The smell was different as well for her, unlike the usual fragrance of flowers, it was wood and chalk. The night sky was different as well from where she stood, and her chest felt prickly as she remembered the structure of the village.

"We're here..." Chung said, snapping Eve out of her trance. He opened the door to their base, and she stepped in slowly as the scent changed again, and everything was much more traditional. He couldn't help but smile at her naïve eyes. It quickly faded away as he closed the door and led her to Adel's office.

Knocking on the door, he opened it with Eve standing behind him nervously.

"Adel?" He peered in to see the pongo putting all his attention into a thick book. "Adel." He said firmly this time, and the pongo looked up.

"You're back pong! Ah, who's that behind you pong?" He blinked at the stranger. Eve straightened up as her anxiety disappeared.

"I found her lost on the streets and it doesn't seem like she's got anywhere else to go, so would it be alright if she stays with us?" He said swiftly, and Adel smiled brightly.

"Of course pong! The more the merrier pong." He placed a piece of ripped paper in the book and set it down. Jumping off his chair, he walked towards them. "May I ask what your name is pong?"

"Please call me Eve." She bowed, and the Chief returned the bow.

"In that case Eve, let me show you to your room. We have quite a few spare." He walked past them and gestured them to follow. They followed suit, and after walking past a series of doors, they stopped in front of a specific door. Adel held it open and Eve stared at it before walking right in.

"Well I'll leave you to it. I still have a few things to attend to. Now, if you'll excuse me." He shot them a smile before heading down the dark hallway once again.

Chung looked towards Eve, who's face was still staring around the room.

"Did you bring any possessions?" He asked, and placed a hand to his hip, setting his cannon down against the wall outside Eve's new room.

"No, I didn't have many possessions, and the ones that are actually mine do not serve any purpose..." She said quietly as she lay down on her bed, and covered her face, hiding a smile.

"I see. It's late, you should get some rest."

* * *

Letting out a sigh, Eve beamed to herself. She had actually disobeyed her father, but seeing as he doesn't really see her much anymore, it may not matter as much. Why hadn't she done this earlier? Was she really that attached to her father?

_Hm... I should stop asking myself so many questions._ Sitting up, she remembered everything that she had seen up until now. Despite having only been in the outside for thirty minutes, she has seen so much up until now.

The smell of wood wasn't really that strong, and its roughness compared to the flowers she had always breathed in brought her to her senses. She should make this trip more worthwhile, experiencing as much as she can.

Chung appeared in her head, and she calmed down. It was thanks to the blonde that she is here, at this very moment. Her mind suddenly wondered to them holding hands. His warm and gentle hand...

A number of feelings took over her mind, and she felt as though her mind would explode from the thoughts that accompanied. Not only did the boy who showed up in her dreams actually appear before her all of a sudden, she had also touched him.

_I... am thinking too much about him._ Shaking her head gently and attempting to clear Chung from her mind, she stroked the material of the blanket and pillow. Indeed, she should sleep. She had stayed up all night, thinking about her chance of freedom and now that she had finally obtained it, she was completely worn out.

* * *

Chung woke to be greeted by the sunlight. He wished he'd remembered to close the curtains. It was probably still early...

Rolling over to look at it the clock, it read 7:24am. Groaning, he threw himself up and ruffling his long messy hair, and leaned over to the nightstand to grab his blue band.

Tying his hair back, he combed his hair slightly as it spiked in different directions.

Getting himself ready in the morning was something he never looked forward to for it is a repetitive routine, but he grew to look forward to the day ahead.

In fact, it doesn't take him long to get ready, and he had already left his room to pick up Eve from her bedroom.

His heartbeat grew slightly faster, but he ignored it, and knocked on Eve's door. When no answer came, he whispered an 'I'm coming in' and stepped in.

There Eve was, sleeping in her bed. She slept on her side, silver hair curling and twisting, creating elegant arcs on her bed. Her normally vacant face now appeared innocent and child-like, and he couldn't help but walk closer to her.

The girl's breath was steady, her hands placed on top of her pillow as she curled around herself. As he gazed at her face, her long silver lashes flickered slightly, her cherry lips parting ever so slightly.

Realising what he was doing, Chung backed away and refused to be captivated by her beauty. He shook her slim shoulders gently as he called her name.

"Eve, wake up."

"Mmn..." She buried her face deeper into the pillow as she breathed in deeply. Slowly opening her eyes to reveal bright golden eyes, she turned over, meeting deep ocean blue eyes with paw prints decorating them.

Half-asleep, she stretched a lean hand towards him and her palm cupped his left cheek, his blonde hair brushing against her fingers. Cheeks red from burying her face into her pillow, it appeared as though she was blushing.

"Good morning..." She whispered gently, and Chung felt his face turn pink. Her hands were soft, and he froze in place as he was unsure of what to do. The drowsy princess' eyes closed again as she fell back to sleep, but her arm remained outstretched and touching his silky cheek.

The heart in his chest was now pulsating fast, and he felt as though he won't stop blushing.

"Eve..." He finally took her hand in his, and held it delicately. "Wake up please."

"Ah... sorry." She opened her eyes again, and her eyes smiled. "I'll wake now. Thank you for coming to rouse me." She stirred, and stared at Chung's hand, where her hand sat in. He placed it on her lap as he quickly left the room.

Staring after him even after he left, she blushed lightly before getting ready.

* * *

Chung leaned against the wall outside Eve's room, his hand brought up to his lips and concealing it as he blushed madly.

_That... was truly unexpected._

Lost in thought, Eve surprised him from the rear.

"Good morning." She spoke politely, no longer the half-asleep girl she was just now.

"Oh, good morning." He turned around to her, and she tilted her head at him.

"Is something the matter?"

"No, it's nothing. We'll go to eat breakfast, and I'll introduce you to my companions." Nodding, Eve followed Chung as the walked further and further down the hallway.

Voices came from a certain room, and the blonde led her straight in.

"Well, nobody told me about it." Elsword frowned at Aisha, who replied with the same expression.

"You should've done your research then!" The purplenette said, and Elsword laid back on his chair, hands shoved casually inside pockets. His hair, tied in separate ponytails, flung to the side slowly as he acknowledged Chung the stranger standing next to him.

"May I ask who your friend is?" Rena smiled at Eve, who nodded.

"It's a pleasure to meet you all. My name is Eve."

"She was lost on the streets just yesterday, and with nowhere to go, I decided to let her come with us. Is that decision alright with everyone?" Chung looked at each of them, and they all agreed.

"Nice to meet you Eve!" Rena called as she left her seat in a flash and pulled Eve into a tight embrace. "My name is Rena!"

Unsure of how to answer, Eve slowly put her hands on Rena's back, and when they parted, she turned to everyone else, whom she had known from her dreams.

"Raven." The man with black hair said without any other accompanying words.

"Name's Elsword." The redhead gave the silver-haired girl a slight smile before finishing off a slice of bread.

"I'm Aisha, nice to meet you."

Their introductions over, Eve sat down nervously, as Adel shuffled in, pouring a cup of coffee for her.

"Thank you." She sipped the coffee slowly, as she looked at each one of them. They looked exactly like her dream counterparts, and she frowned to herself. These people... they are alive, and that meant the chance of that certain tragedy...

"Eve?" Rena looked at her frown with worry.

"Sorry, I'm doing a little thinking, that's all." She finished the rest of the coffee quickly, and bowed slightly to them. "If you'll excuse me."

When Eve left, Elsword turned to Chung.

"Do you think she's nervous?"

"..." Chung remained quiet, and moved a hand onto his cheek, where Eve had caressed during their earlier encounter.

"Uh, Chung?" Elsword tapped him on the shoulder, and the blonde blinked. "Maybe you're not getting enough sleep, you've been spacing out quite often."

Chung couldn't deny it, but neither could he agree. Ever since meeting Eve, his mind has become a state of confusion, and he can't answer questions as well as he usually could.

Aisha stared at the two before turning her head and finished off the last piece of lettuce on her plate, and stood to leave. Rena and Raven both left without a word after Aisha, leaving the redhead and blonde.

Elsword peered over at Chung, who was staring into his cup of coffee. He narrowed his eyes and leaned onto the table, placing his arms on it and resting his head.

"We have four more days to spare and I'm already this bored. What am I going to do?" He muttered, and dozed off.

* * *

**Author's Note**

Shorter chapter today, with a bit of Cheve I suppose. Now that I think about it, Cheve sounds a bit like Cheese...

Uguu, I have a bit of a writer's block right now. I'll try and get rid of it though as soon as possible!

Actually, an idea just popped up in my head -Le gasp-.

Answers to my reviewers:

**Syup: **I actually have more motivation to write this story! Everyday, when I'm at school, I'm really excited to write more for this! I can't spoil anything about Aisha's story either, so you'll just have to wait for it!

**Awakened Hades: **The moment that slap is a critical hit, that is what's most satisfying... at least, for me it is. I would love to do an infinite combo of Eve's slaps and see the victim spin round and round.

**Tsurara-Oikawa Chan: **Personally, my favourite Chung class has got to be DC. He's so smexy! TT's armour is quite awesome though. I mean... those wings! Oh, that reminds me... all his classes has long hair, which may mean the designers really want to make Chung into a girl? Not many people say I'm a nice person to talk to... so thank you. Likewise, you seem like a good person to speak to.


	9. Child

**Child**

Everyone sat in the living room, with Elsword throwing occasional glances at Aisha. The purplenette had sat staring into her hands throughout Eve and Rena's conversation.

"I see. So does that mean your parents left you behind?"

"...Yes." Eve lied quietly. "Without siblings, I travelled alone for some time and now here I am." Rena's eyes softened, and she patted her in the head.

"I'll stop digging into your privacy now. It's a bit unfair that I've asked you so many questions when I haven't told you anything about myself. Let's see..." Adel suddenly emerged from the door, looking at them with a slightly frantic expression.

"Please listen carefully pong. A bandit has entered the premises of the village and harmed eight citizens, while taking a child captive pong. We know that his hiding place is in the sewers, but he has demanded for food and money in exchange for the child pong. We refuse to back down here by accepting the deal, but without an experienced group, there's nothing we can do pong. Would you be kind to take up the responsibility pong?"

"I'll go." Aisha said, standing up.

"In that case, I'll go too." Elsword waved his hand and a small grin crept up his face.

"Chung and me shall follow."

"So that leaves Raven and Rena to watch over everything here."

"I have no problems with that."

"Then it's settled. Please come to my office once you are ready pong."

* * *

Hand on chest as she breathed in and out at the thought of a child being captured, she entered Adel's office to find Elsword, Chung and Eve already inside.

"Looks like we're all here pong. As you know, the bandit is in the sewers, but you cannot enter it unless you have the key to it pong. Thankfully, I have it right here pong. Now the problem is how you are going to locate the kidnapper, as there are supposedly a number of thieves hiding out in the sewers pong."

"We'll manage. I mean, we have a magician, an 'assassin', and a princess figure, plus a Rune Slayer like me." Elsword said confidently, putting emphasis in the 'assassin', and Aisha smirked at his comments.

"I believe in you pong. The entrance to the sewer is located just on the outskirts of the village pong." The four nodded, and backed out of the room.

Walking through the village without bringing attention to themselves was easier said than done. Eve walked cautiously, holding Remy and Moby in her hands rather than letting them float by her side to reduce any suspicion.

Elsword spotted the entrance first. It was a manhole on the floor with a key hole on it. Inserting the key, Chung pushed the lid aside and slid his Destroyer in before himself, then Aisha and Eve. Elsword scouted the deserted area before closing the lid after jumping in after them.

Once inside, his nose flooded with a smell that he cannot compare to anything else. His head began to ache from the intense smell, and he held his nose. Aisha looked unfazed, but her eye was twitching slightly.

Eve and Chung on the other hand seemed to completely ignore the smell, and Elsword began to wonder if they could even smell, or if they were even human.

Squeaks came from the ground below them, and when Aisha tilted her head downwards, she jumped back as mice almost crawled up her leg. She was about to cast another missile, but she remembered what had happened last time, and managed to hold back her magic. Elsword sliced at the dirty mice and their den, then looked up at the magician, grinning, before turning his back on her, his ponytails flipping in the process.

Eve activated Remy and Moby through a series of buttons on a floating screen of data. Her eyes scanned through the blue screen quickly, and the robots woke from dormant mode. Their amber eyes flickered across the sewers curiously before turning back to their master.

"Let's go."

As they travelled down the gross sewer, they came across a few white ghosts, and Aisha almost passed out upon seeing them.

"H-hey, Aisha!" Chung called.

"Gah! Get away from me!" The purplenette cried. The ghosts shot fireballs towards them, but Aisha managed to create a statue that looked just like her, and it reflected the attack.

"Pfft, don't tell me you're scared of ghosts?" Elsword said teasingly, trying to hold back his laughter.

"O-of course not! Hehe, what made you say that?!" She said defensively and, without waiting for an answer, continued on her way. Elsword shrugged his shoulders and followed after along with the silver head and blonde.

A large group of knife-wielding soldiers loomed over Aisha. At first she seemed powerless, but Elsword knew what was going to happen to them. One separated from the pack, and walked up to the purplenette, giving her a toothless smile.

"Are you lost little girl? We know the way around, follow us..." Aisha scowled as the soldier grabbed her wrist. She immediately summoned her staff, performing a spinning motion with it. The soldier raised his eyebrows at her, and laughed. "Just what do you think you're do-" He was cut off as a small whirlwind began cutting his skin, and he was dragged away by the force of the whirlwind. It travelled towards the rest of the soldiers, and before they could run they were pulled into the cyclone, resulting in a number of cuts and a pile of bodies. She sighed and frowned at them.

Elsword whistled at her spell, and placed on hand in his pocket, his other holding his belted sword.

"Man, this smell..." He rubbed his nose and felt the urge to puke. Aisha noticed this and smashed his head with her winged staff, and Elsword gave out a loud yell of pain. "What the- OW!"

"Still feel like puking now?"

"All I have is a bump on my head." Elsword said monotonously.

"You'll thank me later on." Aisha placed a finger to her lips, and they continued on, Elsword muttering a few curses as they walked. The purplenette ignored him, and they came across a tall gate.

Eve shifted through her data screens, and struck it with her drones. It opened obediently, and she flicked her hand to the left, dispersing the screen into petals of light.

The moment they walked through the gate, Aisha was struck with a cold shiver down her spine. A low chuckle echoed through the sewers, and Aisha recognised it.

_That voice, this feeling... _She slowly raised her head, and what stared back at her was a pair of familiar eyes and smirk of desire. But what deformed him are the huge scars that spread throughout his topless body and face.

_Burn marks._

She felt lightheaded. He should've been dead. This man of countless rapes should have died by her hands.

"Why is he still..." She muttered softly. Elsword looked at her from the corner of his eye.

"Seems like a few rats have wondered into these sewers. Hm?" The man looked up at Aisha, and he laughed. "I remember you... you're that girl who gave me these scars. You burned me with that freaky magic of yours." Aisha's eyes widened at the reminder, and she abruptly clutched her head in pain. She fell on her knees, and what came out of her mouth was a scream from her broken heart.

Elsword, Eve and Chung covered their ears, and when it subsided, Aisha had already backed against a wall, her body quivering uncontrollably and her hands still clutching her head.

"Please forgive me... please forgive me... I know I don't deserve to live, so please, forgive me!" She yelled to herself, shaking her head violently.

"Aisha, please calm down!" Eve frowned at Aisha's sudden change, and glared at the man. "Speak. Who are you?"

"Hmph, I am Banthus, or more correctly, **Nasod **Banthus!" He called proudly, and spread his arms outwards. "Leave before you regret it, with exceptions for the females, of course."

Elsword rushed to Aisha and attempted to snap her out of it, but it was futile.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry..." She repeated, and Banthus grinned evilly at her state.

"Poor child, having killed so many friends, and now asking for forgiveness. Don't worry though. I'll put you out of your misery soon, and get my revenge on you."

"No! That's not true! That's not... true..." Aisha began to sway into another trance, and Chung stared at the girl. He dropped his head, positioning his hand and a Silver Shooter formed in his hand. Pointing it at Banthus, he let out another laugh.

"Don't think such a puny little pistol would do much against me. Thanks to your friend's little magic act four years ago, I've changed my body into a Nasod, and now I'm invincible!"

"Aisha! Snap out of it! Aisha!" Elsword continued to shake the trembling girl, and Eve, having had enough, stormed towards them.

"Move, please." Pushing Elsword out of the way, she crouched before the purplenette. Raising her hand, it flew across her face, and her purple hair messed up from the impact. Holding her stinging cheek, Aisha stared up at Eve, who could only stare back.

Straightening up, she left the rest to Elsword. Understanding, he lifted a hand and patted the small girl's purple head.

"Have you calmed down?" He smiled gently at her, and Aisha stared lifelessly at him.

"..." As though she couldn't recognise what was going on around her for the past five minutes, she gazed around, and her eyes sparked a slight red. "It's all my fault."

"Guys, you might wanna hurry up and rescue that child." Elsword said quickly as he put a strong around Aisha's small shoulders.

Nodding, Eve and Chung readied themselves as Banthus swung his great sword over his broad, scarred shoulder and challenged them with the flick of his finger. Narrowing her eyes, Eve immediately flew towards Banthus, and flipped in the air nimbly as she landed behind him.

Raising an arm, she converted a part of her energy into the amount of mana she needed with her drones. Flicking a stray strand of silver hair, she lowered one arm and raised the other elegantly into the air, levitated of the ground and became illuminated in a blue light. A loud rumble came from above as a giant nasod arm appeared from a portal she created. Banthus rolled out of the way, but the shockwave produced by the large fist disabled him for a few seconds.

Taking this chance, Chung dashed forward with his Destroyer. Turning around, he fired a few shots from his pistol, but Banthus hardly flinched. Instead, he pointed it to his leg and shot. Surprised, the grown man limped and swung his sword. Ducking the slow attack, the blonde felt a rush of air pass through his hair. If that had hit him, he would've lost half his body by now.

Banthus then went for a diagonal cut, and without delay, Chung rolled behind him and fired concentrated mana at the man. He grunted as it pierced him, and slammed the blade down on the ground. It created a large crack on the floor, and Eve quickly fire three mini electron balls as her left hand began to glow. It glimmered once, and she spun in the air, launching a larger electron ball towards him. The assault was inescapable, and with Chung behind him, the electron balls hit. Stunned, he collapsed on to one knee. A cold object touched the back of his head, and Banthus sighed, then chuckled. Chung stared down at him, his eyes dark and merciless. Eve folded her arms, and nodded to the blonde.

The sound of a gun going off cracked through the air, and a loud thud followed.

"Chung!" Elsword shouted. "You... didn't have to kill him."

"Are you sure you would let such a man live? It is obvious he had ties with Aisha in the past, and I damn well know that it wasn't anything funny." Chung scowled, his menacing gaze still focused on Banthus.

"His inexperience in fighting and overconfidence killed him, Elsword." Eve said pitilessly. The boy gritted his teeth as the girl in his arm shook violently..

"We should get out of here quickly."

"What shall we do with the body?"

"Let him rot here." Chung hid his dark gaze behind his creamy hair, spinning on his heels to search for the child.

* * *

Carrying Aisha on his back, Elsword turned his head round to be face to face with her sleeping face. He noticed the pained expression, and sighed, turning his head back round. She grunted softly a few times, clearly having an unpleasant dream.

The child was locked up inside a cage not far from where they encountered Banthus, and all she wore was a shredded dress which barely provided any privacy. Chung and Elsword had been forced to look away, while Eve carried the trembling child away.

"What a horrible man." She said, tasting poison in her mouth.

"You can say that again." They left the sewers quickly, walking in silence with only the heavy breathing of the small child. When Eve had picked her up, she could feel the stickiness on her body, and forced herself not to pity the young girl.

Looking on with a poker face, her eyes would occasionally wander towards Aisha. They made it back to their base, and each breathed a sigh of relief at the thought of a place to return to.

"Welcome back you guys!" Rena skipped towards them, and noticed the unconscious purplenette and child in Eve's arms, carrying no wounds on their bodies. "Good work, go take a shower or something! You guys look knackered."

* * *

Eve and Rena had suggested to help wash Aisha while she was unconscious. Adel had asked for them to leave the child with him, and Chung had left quickly to get into a shower. Quick.

Elsword rubbed his crimson hair with a towel, enjoying the feeling of cleanliness. Leaving his bathroom, he turned to find Aisha laying down on his bed.

"Wha-!" He jumped back, holding his mouth shut with his hand, and sharply turned his head to the door. Behind it hid Rena and Eve, with Rena holding in her laughter.

"Are you sure you should have done that?" Eve whispered, and Rena face blew up.

"Of course! Aisha's definitely hiding something, but her bond with Elsword is definitely stronger than the bond between her and me, so she might tell Elsword what's up." Rena explained, and Eve frowned.

"But I do not think eavesdropping is necessary. The best course of action is to leave them alone, as we run the risk of being caught."

"I know, but I'm just worried for Aisha." Rena sighed quietly, and moved from the door, with Eve following her.

Elsword, having calmed down at the sudden appearance of Aisha, guessed this was Rena's work. He gazed at Aisha, who was still out cold. Her face had become peaceful, her breath steady, hair completely dried and soft layers of violet hair wounding their way around her shoulders.

Her eyes suddenly fluttered open, and Elsword jumped backwards as she shuffled on his bed. Her eyes darted cautiously around his room, before resting on Elsword.

Suddenly, an evil grin flashed across her face, and she jumped out of the bed, grabbing Elsword by the wrists and laughed as she pinned him against the wall.

He grunted as he hit his head against the wall, and when he looked down at Aisha, her eyes were clouded with darkness and insanity.

"Aisha, you-"

"Ahahaha~" She laughed madly, as her gripped tightened. "Ahahahaha!" Elsword winced as he tried to push her away, but she overpowered him.

Without any other way, he began to chant a small spell, and his body began to glow a bright red. Entering a state of extreme endurance, he pushed Aisha with all his might, and snapping his finger in her face, she gave out a shriek. He muffled it by placing a hand over her lips.

Aisha looked up with the light back in her eyes at Elsword, and streams of tears began to fall down her face.

"I-I'm so sorry." She managed to say, and Elsword's eyes softened, wiping the tears and ignoring the stinging pain on his wrists. "I hurt you didn't I?" She whispered, touching his arm.

"It's nothing. The best thing that happened is that you snapped out of it. Say, where did you get that superhuman strength from?"

"That wasn't me." Silence hung in the air for a second as Elsword tried to understand what she meant. "That was... the darkness inside of me that mutated."

"Darkness?" He blinked, and helped the small girl sit on the bed. He pulled out a wooden chair and sat opposite her, slouching over as he listened.

"Yes..." Hesitation flooded her face and she concentrated for a long time. Nodding to herself, she faced Elsword. "I'll tell you about my past. But please promise me this. Do not tell any soul." Knowing this was serious, he dropped his teasing nature and listened to her intently. "I was an orphan, living in an orphanage. No friends, and obviously no family. It's been four years ago since I..." She stopped, and the redhead raised an eyebrow. "...left the orphanage. Living there was fun, with lots of laughter, but not until _that man _came. He was called Banthus. He took one female at a time inside a room with him. He toyed with every girl he could, and I was almost a victim."

"Almost?" Elsword could almost feel himself choke on his tongue.

"My magic... lost control." She sobbed. "I unleashed a fire spell all by mistake, built upon my fear. I'm... a murderer!" She hid her face in her hands, her shoulders moving in an up and down motion as she cried. Elsword narrowed his eyes down at the floor.

"Aisha."

"I killed so many in that instant."

"Aisha."

"I murdered the other orphans, all just to save myself."

"Aisha."

"_I'm an inhumane being! I don't deserve to live! I don't want to bear the burden of their deaths!"_

"Aisha!"

Elsword grabbed her by the shoulders, as he called her name. She continued to weep and ignored the hands that had placed themselves on her shoulders.

"You say that you don't deserve to live so easily, but what are you doing right now? You're going on about how you don't deserve to live, when you've tried so hard to stay alive. Think about that time when you saved yourself from the soldiers. You could've died right there and then, but instead, you chose to live! Those lives you have taken weren't for nothing. You have to move on from the past! Don't let the death of those orphans hold you back from continuing on in life!"

Aisha stared at him, tears running down her face. His hands shook as he fell back down onto his chair.

"Elsword... do you remember when I told you that feelings are meaningless?"

"Yes." He said quietly, head in hands.

"I... lied to you." She also said quietly, and looked away. "That time, I was lost. So lost that I had no idea what I should think or feel. The mission is an excuse for me to use magic. I chose this path of magic, but it backfired the moment I had mastered it. I ended up burning those children alive because I wished to save myself.

"If I could use magic for this mission, and I killed someone... I wouldn't feel as bad. I won't feel like I am responsible. '_This is for the mission at hand, it's not your fault' _was what I always thought. I'm a selfish girl, but now, I'm not sure anymore." Elsword looked up at her, his long hair clouding his face.

"One thing is for sure though. I'm no longer the heartless girl I was. I can now think for myself, and perhaps hold back that inner darkness that dwells within me. As for the emotions, though, understand that you still haven't won."

The redhead smiled at her decision, and sighed as he reached over and held her against his strong body.

"E-Elsword?!"

"I'm happy for you. I really am."

Aisha blushed a deep red at his words, and began to slap him lightly on the back. He stayed unflinched, and, giving up, she relaxed against him. His body warmed her, and his smell calmed her heartbeat.

"C-can you, like, let go now?" Aisha said awkwardly, and reluctantly, Elsword released her. He peered into her red face, and suddenly realised what he had just done.

"Sorry! I, uhh, wasn't thinking." He brought a hand up to hide his face, and they fell into an awkward silence.

"Thank you." Aisha said as she wiped away her tears. "For some reason, I feel like my heart is lot lighter now that I've spilled the beans."

"Heh, maybe it's because you can't keep secrets."

"Hush you."

* * *

**Author's Note:**

I enjoyed writing this chapter so much. It's currently 12 in the morning, and I'm so tired! I can't wait till I can snuggle up in bed...

Just know that the original plot hasn't been forgotten! I know what I'm doing. Probably. -Looks around guiltily-

Answers to my reviewers~:

**Awakened Hades: **Fellow Cheve lover?! When I first played Elsword, something just caught my eye when I saw the two, especially their second classes. I personally think they're perfect for each other, hehe.

**Tsurara-Oikawa Chan: **TT is probably second on my list of Chung's classes. I just love spiky hair! Also, I think maybe it's because my sense of humour just can't be understood by most people, so they just call me weird... Gah, I don't know!

Woah, that's a hard question. My favourite Eve class... Well, they are all so pretty to me! I mean, just look at their designs! But for their backgrounds, I would say Code: Battle Seraph (Or just Battle Seraph). If I were to explain my reason, this would turn into an essay... Question, what's your favourite class pairing?!

**Orithia Windbell: **Sweet mama. When that scene popped up in my head, I just couldn't help but place Eve and Chung in there. I'm just warming Cheve up for the future. Duhuhuhu.

Don't think that this is it for Aisha's background! There's still more to come. hopefully.


	10. Voice

**Voice**

_I can hear someone calling to me. I don't know who it is, but it sounds familiar. Like someone I've met before._

_It's a girl's voice. Its a gentle voice, and it soothes my soul. But everytime it calls to me, I feel this aching pain in my heart. It tears at my very being, but I can't stop it. I can't muffle the voice, nor can I call back to it._

_All I can ever do, is listen._

* * *

Lavender eyes stared into the book sat on her lap. Her eyes flew across the words, but her mind refused to memorise the new spells laid out before her. She sat for an hour or so, wasting her time as she had nothing else to do.

_Aisha..._

She sighed as the voice called again. She was going to suppress it this time, just as she had told Elsword last night.

Memories flooded her mind as she closed the tome: the sewers, Banthus' scarred face, her mind losing control, Elsword's words and...

**_His embrace_.**

The thought of his warmth and strong grip made her smile, but she quickly shook her head, trying to keep a straight face.

_I can't let emotions take over me! Wake up, Aisha! _She smacked herself lightly on the cheek and waved her hand, the tome fading away at her command. A sigh escaping her lips, she stood from her chair and walked towards the balcony, pushing the doors open and taking in the fresh air.

* * *

Resting her head on her hand, Eve stirred the tea in her cup gently as time passed by slowly, the spoon colliding with the cup occasionally. Eve closed her eyes and sat back quietly.

The ticking of the clock sounded through the silent room, and a bird's chirp added to the tune, followed by the rustling of tree leaves. Warm air found their way through the open window and fluttered the pure white curtains softly.

"Morning."

The voice came suddenly, a low drawl that made Eve jump from her peaceful state. She turned her head round to see Chung yawning gently into his hand, ruffling his hair like he occasionally does.

"Good morning." She said cautiously, turning back round to her untouched tea. She placed an elbow on the table, and her head rested against her palm again. Chung proceeded to sit down opposite her, and she sighed quietly from boredom.

He looked up at her, and words remained unspoken.

Soft layers of sunlight touched their faces and Eve frowned upon the light hitting her eyes. Shuffling in her seat, her leg folded over the other, the snowy dress she wore rustling in response.

Remy and Moby fluttered into the room and sat themselves down next to Eve's elbows. Unbeknownst to her, she continued to stare into her tea.

Chung leaned over to rub at her frown. She recoiled in surprise at the sudden contact, and the boy tilted his head to the side.

"You'll end up with wrinkles if you keep frowning."

"N-nonsense, I do not recount frowning." She looked away.

"Then what were you doing just now...?"

"..." Eve turned to him, and brought a hand to his face, slapping him at quicker than the human eye could see.

"Ow!"

"Do not touch a lady without permission."

Chung held his cheek dearly as it stung with pain.

"May I ask you a question?"

"Go on." Eve sat back, folding her arms.

"Why did you slap me?!"

"That is simple. Even a boy such as yourself should know etiquette, and if not you should go punished as it is something you should have learned quite a while ago. I take up the responsibility to teach you as the person closest to you as of right now. It is almost like teaching a child."

"I'm not a kid you know..."

"I see, then you are merely an idiotic boy. Would you be, by any chance, wishing to earn yourself another slap to snap you out of your stupidity?"

"No, that will not be necessary! Your slap would just further my stupidity!"

"Well, I believe that giving you one would improve your features..."

"So I suppose you are hinting I'm not very handsome? Thank you. I guess."

"You are mistaken. I meant that it would prove you to be a man. A few scars would also do the trick."

"Just so you know, I don't want to look like a duplicate of Raven."

"Your feminine features are a crime."

"What..."

"Don't 'what' me. I'm merely stating a fact."

"Ugh..." Chung lowered his head on to the table, groaning quietly. He wasn't sure whether he was supposed to laugh or be angry with her.

"What is the matter?"

"Huh? Oh, it's... nothing."

"Morning guys." Elsword strode into the room and sat next to Chung.

"Good morning Elsword." He waved a hand at Eve as he yawned loudly.

"'xcuse me. I don't usually wake up this early."

"Heh, never have never will." Chung chuckled lightly.

"True, true. But I'm working on it!"

"That's what you said a few years ago, when you were late to training camp."

"Hey! I thought I told you not to bring that up again!"

Eve watched them quietly, then began tapping Moby gently with her finger. Sipping her tea, she cupped Moby in her hand and stared back at it. Amber eyes flashing mechanically, Eve smiled at it, recalling a dream of the two that sat before her.

* * *

_"TEN MINUTE BREAK, THEN BACK TO TRAINING, YOU HERE ME?!" A strong voice echoed across the training fields, and every trainee immediately flopped to the floor, a number of blades falling to the ground._

_Chung stood, relaxed with a sheen of sweat on his face. Looking around, he couldn't see Elsword in sight. Guessing he had probably overslept again, he wiped a hand over his face and stared up at the clear sky._

_A speck of red caught the corner of his eye, and Elsword had appeared almost out of nowhere._

_"Late again, huh?"  
_

_"You know me. I'm working on it though."  
_

_Chung stared at him, and let out a sigh, placing a hand in front of the redhead's forehead and flicked at it._

_"Try sorting out your swordsmanship as well, since you can't just swing that thing up and down, left and right." _

_"Let's see you try to wield the sword then, while I try out that cannon of yours!"_

_Chung quickly let go of his gigantic cannon and placed it before Elsword, who passed the blonde his sword.  
_

_The redhead, a determined look on his face, placed a hand on the handle of the cannon, and attempted to throw it on his shoulders. Instead, it stayed stuck to the ground, and with increased effort, he began to push and pull on the weapon, but to gain no results. His face, pink from the effort, sat down and cleared his throat, embarrassed._

_Chung, on the other hand, swung the sword round in his hand skillfully, tossing it into the air from time to time and catching it without breaking a sweat. Elsword pouted at his friend, but then smiled reluctantly at him.  
_

* * *

A few tears pricked her eyes. The dream was so real, she almost felt her heart break. The Chung in that dream was much shorter, even shorter than Elsword, his voice a lot higher pitched and his hair isn't as styled as it is now. He also had very abundant cheeks, enough to make any girl to squeal and pinch his baby fat. Elsword, however, looked like an absolute brat, with his tone of voice and the way he looked at everyone. Way different from the present Elsword.

Jealousy. Envy. They clung to her heart, and she couldn't stop the feelings from entering her mind. She placed her droids on her lap, looking down at them so the two boys couldn't see her face.

They had begun to punch each other on the arm gently, and poking at each others' faces.

Rena chose that moment to walk right in, waving a hand cheerfully.

"Good morning! You guys seem pretty lively!" She looked towards Eve's slouched figure, and tilted her head. "What's wrong Eve?"

Chung and Elsword ceased their pokes and punches and followed Rena's eyes.

"It is nothing to be concerned about. I suppose you could say I was...reminiscing about the past."

Chung raised an at her, and stared at Elsword intently. Obviously creeped out, the redhead stared back, and got the message. Rena smiled softly, pulling Eve into a gentle hug.

"Always speak to me or Chung when you feel the need for comfort, okay? We're always here to lend an ear or two."

Eve closed her eyes gratefully as she snuggled herself against Rena, intaking the warmth. Chung couldn't hold back a smile. Releasing the silver-haired girl, Rena grinned as mischief flashed across her face.

"I have a plan! We're going to surprise Aisha in her sleep!"

* * *

Elsword stared in disbelief at the door he stood before. He had been forced to prank the purplenette in her sleep, but he wasn't even sure if it was going to work.

_Just pretend you're a ghost, and you're done! Don't forget, alright~?_

Rena was always thinking up of ways to cause mischief, but he never understood why. Sighing, he crept into the room alone.

Round the corner, a trio stood watching.

"I'm not sure if this is such a good idea..." Chung muttered.

"Shh! Just believe in my cupi- I mean, my plans!" Rena hissed gently.

"How did you know she felt back asleep? I recall she was standing at the balcony..." Eve couldn't understand the meaning behind all this, but decided to watch.

"Tch tch tch, I have my ways. Let's leave it at that, alrighty?"

The redhead slowly crept towards the sleeping magician, wondering just how he was going to imitate a ghost. An idea popped in his head, and he cupped his hands, slowly calling out Aisha's name.

"Aishaa~ Aishaaa~!" He could feel himself cringing.

_Why the hell am I doing this?!_

Aisha began to stir, burying her face into her blanket and attempting to block out the noise.

"Aisha~!" He called again. Aisha whined quietly, and he could hear Rena trying to hold in her laughter behind the door. Gritting his teeth, he leaned over Aisha. "Aishaa!"

"Leave me alone!" She hollered herself awake, slapping Elsword across the face as she flung her arms out.

"...Ow." He sat on the floor as he rubbed his face.

"Oh, it's just you Elsword... Wait, you weren't doing anything funny were you?!" She squeaked.

"Duh. Of course not." He looked up, and noticed her violet eyes were framed by red stains. "H-have you been crying?"

Aisha touched her face monotonously, staring at the ground.

"Don't be stupid... I don't cry THAT easily."

* * *

"Hey."

"What is it, thick head?"

"You're still mad?"

"OF COURSE... I'm not."

"Liar." Elsword and Aisha sat quietly for a few minutes. "How did we get locked in here anyways? And in your room as well?"

"You forgot already? Geez. Talk about forgetful."

"Ouch. That hurt." The redhead said sarcastically.

Rena had burst into the room when Aisha woke up, and practically laughed till she began coughing violently. But who knew that she would 'accidentally' lock the door in the process of laughing? This was obviously a set-up. Plus, Aisha had lost her key to her own room.

"Man, I'm hungry."

"I would suggest eating yourself." Aisha stared dully at the ground.

"I would like to see you try that." Calmly, Elsword raised a palm, and a small rune was carved above his hand. "I still haven't thanked you for teaching me this."

"There's no need you idiot. It's what I'm meant to do as a superior."

"You're one year younger than I am."

"So? That doesn't mean my studies are supposed to be lacking!"

"We'll see about that." He tilted his head and rested it against his shoulder. A smirk of confidence played on his lips. "So, are you willing to tell me why you were cryin'?"

"I've told you I wasn't crying."

"You know, you're absolutely crap at telling lies. Instead, tell me the truth."

"There's nothing to tell! I've already told you everything..." Aisha pursed her lips, and Elsword stared at her.

"But you haven't told me why you've displayed so many expressions lately. You haven't told me why you were so willing to tell me your past. You still haven't told me why you're so willing to talk to me, when you seem to dislike me."

Her lips uncurled themselves as she stared blankly at him, considering his words. Indeed, why did she feel like she could trust him with her past? Why did she always act so differently around him?

"You're impossible, you know that? Asking those kinds of questions..." Brushing down her amethyst skirt, she began to brush her hair with her fingers and looked outside the window nervously. A low sigh came from him, and he studied the girl.

"Well, I can't help asking those questions, since I'm a curious person by nature."

"Then let me ask one question. Why did _you _choose to study magic? I thought a big lump of steel was better than magic."

"..." Elsword crushed the rune in his hand. "Yes, indeed. Why did I study magic? Maybe it was because... of my sister."

"You have a sister?" Elsword nodded.

"She's an amazing swordswoman. Obviously great with the sword, and a brilliant leader. I haven't seen her since... heck, six years maybe? I always wanted to be just like her." A slight pause. Aisha rotated her head to admire Elsword's distant expression. "She was amazing. Able to perform such impossible techniques, and surpassing everyone else. Beautiful and elegant. I was proud to be her brother.

"But nobody ever paid any attention to me. My sister was always too busy training really hard, so she never had much of a chance to spend time with me. It hurt to know that she wanted to train more than to spend time with his brother. I didn't want to keep following her like a shadow, so why not create my own path? A path where I might find some meaning in life, and that happened to be magic."

He grinned brightly, his burning eyes flashing with passion, something that she had never seen in him. She couldn't help but return his grin with a smile.

"Oi, you two aren't asleep in there are you?" Raven's low voice echoed through their ears, and they immediately jumped up.

"Raven!" They called in unison as they heard a _clack_, and the creak of the door as it opened.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

I have a bad habit of updating late. Both late into the night AND updating the stories late. Anyways, I'm gonna leave this story alone for a little while. Why? Well, you'll see pretty soon! Don't worry though, I'll come back to this!

I've been sooo lazy, that I haven't even levelled my characters on Elsword at ALL. All I've been doing is PvP, homework, PvP then homework.

**Tsurara-Oikawa Chan: **Unique, maybe. Not sure, I'll have to corner somebody one day and ask them about this -Grabs knife-. Indeed, all the pairings should be respected! They should have equal recognition. Tsu-chan sounds a bit too cute for me to use, but I'll try! CN is just plain awesome. I can just imagine her walking from a fire with her spears and... ehem, yeah.

**3: **The mysterious 3! Thanks for the encouragement! Cheve and ElsAi just explode with cuteness, but I'm not sure about Reven. They are still cute, just more... mysterious.

**Awakened Hades: **Look forward to the torture of Aisha! No, I'm just kidding! Who would wanna torture her? (Probably almost everyone)


End file.
